Raleigh, NC vs San Antonio, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Antonio, TX spends 22% more per resident than Raleigh, NC: $16,943 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 68/100 (grade B) for San Antonio, TX — a 8-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Raleigh, NC carries the lighter load at $906 per resident versus $2,131 for San Antonio, 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 San Antonio, TX at $1,045.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 47% of total revenue in Raleigh, NC and 17% in San Antonio, TX.
Summary
San Antonio spends 17.9% more per capita than Raleigh ($3,032/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 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $858 | $293 |
| Income Tax | $806 | $1,000 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,128 | $14,312 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,681 | $4,025 |
| Other | $4,740 | $3,184 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $277 | $396 |
| Highways & Roads | $448 | $158 |
| Education | $6 | $23 |
| Public Welfare | $498 | $1,188 |
| Health | $0 | $293 |
| Hospitals | $669 | $993 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,391 | $1,045 |
| Housing | $2,712 | $3,570 |
| Sewerage | $281 | $100 |
| Utilities | $2,469 | $3,826 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,513 | $0 |
| Other | $3,646 | $5,352 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.