Raleigh, NC vs Fresno, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fresno, CA outspends Raleigh, NC by a wide margin per resident — $43,387 versus $13,911, a 212% 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 50/100 (grade C) for Fresno, CA — a 26-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Fresno, CA 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 Fresno, CA leads with education at $3,942.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Raleigh, NC at 47% of total revenue, whereas Fresno, CA relies most on other revenue at 19%.
Summary
Fresno spends 67.9% more per capita than Raleigh ($29,476/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)
| Property Tax | $0 | $337 |
| Sales Tax | $858 | $19 |
| Income Tax | $806 | $501 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,128 | -$4,470 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,681 | $11 |
| Other | $4,740 | $2,070 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $3,261 |
| Fire Protection | $277 | $568 |
| Highways & Roads | $448 | $0 |
| Education | $6 | $3,942 |
| Public Welfare | $498 | $1,946 |
| Health | $0 | $599 |
| Hospitals | $669 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,391 | $76 |
| Housing | $2,712 | $2,856 |
| Sewerage | $281 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,469 | $15,340 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,513 | $255 |
| Other | $3,646 | $14,545 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.