Raleigh, NC vs Philadelphia, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends Raleigh, NC by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $13,911, a 305% 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 45/100 (grade D) for Philadelphia, PA — a 31-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Raleigh, NC carries the lighter load at $906 per resident versus $1,069 for Philadelphia, PA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Raleigh, NC leads with parks and recreation at $1,391 per resident, while Philadelphia, PA leads with fire protection at $7,082.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 47% of total revenue in Raleigh, NC and 16% in Philadelphia, PA.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 75.3% more per capita than Raleigh ($42,361/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 | $107 |
| Income Tax | $806 | $8 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,128 | $6,288 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,681 | $2,790 |
| Other | $4,740 | $4,029 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,505 |
| Fire Protection | $277 | $7,082 |
| Highways & Roads | $448 | $1,215 |
| Education | $6 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $498 | $1,456 |
| Health | $0 | $229 |
| Hospitals | $669 | $4,048 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,391 | $593 |
| Housing | $2,712 | $4,902 |
| Sewerage | $281 | $325 |
| Utilities | $2,469 | $4,222 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,513 | $3 |
| Other | $3,646 | $30,692 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.