Raleigh, NC vs San Diego, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Diego, CA outspends Raleigh, NC by a wide margin per resident — $43,306 versus $13,911, a 211% 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 San Diego, CA — a 23-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
San Diego, 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 San Diego, CA leads with police at $3,335.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Raleigh, NC at 47% of total revenue, whereas San Diego, CA relies most on other revenue at 39%.
Summary
San Diego spends 67.9% more per capita than Raleigh ($29,395/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 | $124 |
| Sales Tax | $858 | $63 |
| Income Tax | $806 | $194 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,128 | $57 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,681 | $14 |
| Other | $4,740 | $3,801 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $3,335 |
| Fire Protection | $277 | $1,278 |
| Highways & Roads | $448 | $1,408 |
| Education | $6 | $2,005 |
| Public Welfare | $498 | $700 |
| Health | $0 | $411 |
| Hospitals | $669 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,391 | $436 |
| Housing | $2,712 | $4,476 |
| Sewerage | $281 | $43 |
| Utilities | $2,469 | $11,704 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,513 | $0 |
| Other | $3,646 | $17,509 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.