Raleigh, NC vs El Paso, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
El Paso, TX outspends Raleigh, NC by a wide margin per resident — $24,259 versus $13,911, a 74% 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 61/100 (grade C) for El Paso, TX — a 15-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
El Paso, TX 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 El Paso, TX leads with police at $1,159.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 47% of total revenue in Raleigh, NC and 10% in El Paso, TX.
Summary
El Paso spends 42.7% more per capita than Raleigh ($10,348/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 | $65 |
| Income Tax | $806 | $12 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,128 | $690 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,681 | $31 |
| Other | $4,740 | $550 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,159 |
| Fire Protection | $277 | $233 |
| Highways & Roads | $448 | $83 |
| Education | $6 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $498 | $299 |
| Hospitals | $669 | $11 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,391 | $151 |
| Housing | $2,712 | $958 |
| Sewerage | $281 | $6 |
| Utilities | $2,469 | $224 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,513 | $40 |
| General Admin | $0 | $17,951 |
| Other | $3,646 | $3,145 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.