Raleigh, NC vs Greensboro, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Greensboro, NC spends 39% more per resident than Raleigh, NC: $19,352 against $13,911. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Raleigh, NC holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 76/100 (grade B) against 58/100 (grade C) for Greensboro, NC — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Raleigh, NC carries the lighter load at $906 per resident versus $1,773 for Greensboro, 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 Greensboro, NC at $3,225.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Raleigh, NC at 47% of total revenue, whereas Greensboro, NC relies most on other revenue at 12%.
Summary
Greensboro spends 28.1% more per capita than Raleigh ($5,441/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 | $2,502 |
| Income Tax | $806 | $801 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,128 | $2,640 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,681 | $2,498 |
| Other | $4,740 | $2,691 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $277 | $340 |
| Highways & Roads | $448 | $570 |
| Education | $6 | $33 |
| Public Welfare | $498 | $1,134 |
| Health | $0 | $329 |
| Hospitals | $669 | $911 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,391 | $3,225 |
| Housing | $2,712 | $3,186 |
| Sewerage | $281 | $207 |
| Utilities | $2,469 | $2,932 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,513 | $1,328 |
| Other | $3,646 | $5,155 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.