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

Raleigh, NC vs Cary, NC

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

Summary

Cary spends 13.4% more per capita than Raleigh ($2,146/person difference). Raleigh, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 76/100).

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
Cary, NC
Pop. 174,880
B
70/100
Budget Balance86
Debt Burden80
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency85
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Raleigh
Cary
Total Spending
$6.5B
$2.8B
Spending / Capita
$13,911
$16,057
Total Revenue
$13.9B
$4.6B
Revenue / Capita
$29,940
$26,541
Total Debt
$421.6M
$101.8M
Debt / Capita
$906
$582
Population
465,517
174,880
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Raleigh$277
Cary$353
Highways & Roads
Raleigh$448
Cary$0
Parks & Recreation
Raleigh$1,391
Cary$1,581
Education
Raleigh$6
Cary$0

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

RaleighCary
Sales Tax
$858
$493
Income Tax
$806
$801
Intergovernmental
$14,128
$26,541
Charges & Fees
$2,681
$1,981
Other
$4,740
$3,182

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

RaleighCary
Fire Protection
$277
$353
Highways & Roads
$448
$0
Education
$6
$0
Public Welfare
$498
$58
Hospitals
$669
$322
Parks & Recreation
$1,391
$1,581
Housing
$2,712
$1,880
Sewerage
$281
$338
Utilities
$2,469
$3,759
Interest on Debt
$1,513
$733
Other
$3,646
$7,034
B
Raleigh, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 76/100
Good fiscal health
B
Cary, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 70/100
Good fiscal health

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