Raleigh, NC vs Fayetteville, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fayetteville, NC and Raleigh, NC spend within 1.0% of each other per resident — $14,049 versus $13,911 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Raleigh, NC edges Fayetteville, 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, Raleigh, NC carries the lighter load at $906 per resident versus $1,749 for Fayetteville, 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 Fayetteville, NC at $1,062.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Raleigh, NC at 47% of total revenue, whereas Fayetteville, NC relies most on charges and fees at 9%.
Summary
Fayetteville spends 1.0% more per capita than Raleigh ($139/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 | $124 |
| Income Tax | $806 | $717 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,128 | $1,555 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,681 | $3,488 |
| Other | $4,740 | $3,474 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $277 | $196 |
| Highways & Roads | $448 | $0 |
| Education | $6 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $498 | $378 |
| Hospitals | $669 | $319 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,391 | $1,062 |
| Housing | $2,712 | $2,914 |
| Sewerage | $281 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,469 | $3,100 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,513 | $628 |
| Other | $3,646 | $5,454 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.