Raleigh, NC vs Jacksonville, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Jacksonville, FL outspends Raleigh, NC by a wide margin per resident — $31,456 versus $13,911, a 126% 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 53/100 (grade C) for Jacksonville, FL — a 23-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Raleigh, NC carries the lighter load at $906 per resident versus $2,821 for Jacksonville, FL. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Raleigh, NC leads with parks and recreation at $1,391 per resident, while Jacksonville, FL leads with fire protection at $9,436.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 47% of total revenue in Raleigh, NC and 14% in Jacksonville, FL.
Summary
Jacksonville spends 55.8% more per capita than Raleigh ($17,545/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 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $858 | $233 |
| Income Tax | $806 | $762 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,128 | $7,348 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,681 | $2,119 |
| Other | $4,740 | $4,705 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $18 |
| Fire Protection | $277 | $9,436 |
| Highways & Roads | $448 | $0 |
| Education | $6 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $498 | $486 |
| Health | $0 | $332 |
| Hospitals | $669 | $557 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,391 | $1,329 |
| Housing | $2,712 | $5,572 |
| Sewerage | $281 | $176 |
| Utilities | $2,469 | $1,835 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,513 | $1,942 |
| Other | $3,646 | $9,771 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.