Raleigh, NC vs Cary, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Cary, NC spends 15% more per resident than Raleigh, NC: $16,057 against $13,911. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Raleigh, NC edges Cary, NC on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 76/100 (grade B) to 70/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Cary, NC carries the lighter load at $582 per resident versus $906 for Raleigh, NC. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Raleigh, NC at $1,391 per resident and in Cary, NC at $1,581.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 47% of total revenue in Raleigh, NC and 100% in Cary, NC.
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
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| 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)
| 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 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.