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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Raleigh, NC vs Arlington, TX

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Raleigh spends 18.2% more per capita than Arlington ($2,142/person difference). Arlington, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Raleigh, NC
Pop. 465,517
B
76/100
Budget Balance82
Debt Burden68
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity67
Trend Direction50
City B
Arlington, TX
Pop. 393,469
A
83/100
Budget Balance78
Debt Burden96
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity89
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Raleigh
Arlington
Total Spending
$6.5B
$4.6B
Spending / Capita
$13,911
$11,769
Total Revenue
$13.9B
$23.8B
Revenue / Capita
$29,940
$60,454
Total Debt
$421.6M
$233.8M
Debt / Capita
$906
$594
Population
465,517
393,469
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Raleigh$277
Arlington$160
Highways & Roads
Raleigh$448
Arlington$149
Parks & Recreation
Raleigh$1,391
Arlington$1,352
Education
Raleigh$6
Arlington$0
Health
Raleigh$0
Arlington$219

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

RaleighArlington
Sales Tax
$858
$507
Income Tax
$806
$73
Intergovernmental
$14,128
$25,062
Charges & Fees
$2,681
$2,949
Other
$4,740
$3,897

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

RaleighArlington
Fire Protection
$277
$160
Highways & Roads
$448
$149
Education
$6
$0
Public Welfare
$498
$826
Health
$0
$219
Hospitals
$669
$152
Parks & Recreation
$1,391
$1,352
Housing
$2,712
$2,981
Sewerage
$281
$141
Utilities
$2,469
$1,385
Interest on Debt
$1,513
$0
Other
$3,646
$4,404
B
Raleigh, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 76/100
Good fiscal health
A
Arlington, TX
Fiscal Health Score: 83/100
Excellent fiscal health

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