Raleigh, NC vs Fort Worth, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fort Worth, TX and Raleigh, NC spend within 14.6% of each other per resident — $15,939 versus $13,911 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Raleigh, NC holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 76/100 (grade B) against 63/100 (grade C) for Fort Worth, TX — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Raleigh, NC carries the lighter load at $906 per resident versus $1,921 for Fort Worth, TX. 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 Fort Worth, TX at $708.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 47% of total revenue in Raleigh, NC and 15% in Fort Worth, TX.
Summary
Fort Worth spends 12.7% more per capita than Raleigh ($2,028/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 | $198 |
| Income Tax | $806 | $851 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,128 | $4,002 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,681 | $3,594 |
| Other | $4,740 | $3,439 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $277 | $156 |
| Highways & Roads | $448 | $317 |
| Education | $6 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $498 | $869 |
| Health | $0 | $235 |
| Hospitals | $669 | $1,680 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,391 | $708 |
| Housing | $2,712 | $4,217 |
| Sewerage | $281 | $267 |
| Utilities | $2,469 | $2,674 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,513 | $0 |
| Other | $3,646 | $4,817 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.