Raleigh, NC vs Durham, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Durham, NC outspends Raleigh, NC by a wide margin per resident — $31,264 versus $13,911, a 125% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Raleigh, NC holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 76/100 (grade B) against 66/100 (grade B) for Durham, NC — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Durham, NC reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Raleigh, NC carries $906 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Raleigh, NC leads with parks and recreation at $1,391 per resident, while Durham, NC leads with education at $17,100.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 47% of total revenue in Raleigh, NC and 39% in Durham, NC.
Summary
Durham spends 55.5% more per capita than Raleigh ($17,353/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 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $806 | $164 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,128 | $6,775 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,681 | $0 |
| Other | $4,740 | $924 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $921 |
| Fire Protection | $277 | $682 |
| Highways & Roads | $448 | $461 |
| Education | $6 | $17,100 |
| Public Welfare | $498 | $0 |
| Health | $0 | $517 |
| Hospitals | $669 | $159 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,391 | $0 |
| Housing | $2,712 | $1,169 |
| Sewerage | $281 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,469 | $2,350 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,513 | $32 |
| General Admin | $0 | $43 |
| Other | $3,646 | $7,830 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.