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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Raleigh, NC vs Winston-Salem, NC

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Raleigh spends 10.9% more per capita than Winston-Salem ($1,367/person difference). Winston-Salem, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 89/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Raleigh, NC
Pop. 465,517
B
76/100
Budget Balance82
Debt Burden68
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity67
Trend Direction50
City B
Winston-Salem, NC
Pop. 249,571
A
89/100
Budget Balance97
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Raleigh
Winston-Salem
Total Spending
$6.5B
$3.1B
Spending / Capita
$13,911
$12,544
Total Revenue
$13.9B
$8.2B
Revenue / Capita
$29,940
$33,050
Total Debt
$421.6M
$0
Debt / Capita
$906
$0
Population
465,517
249,571
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Raleigh$277
Winston-Salem$207
Highways & Roads
Raleigh$448
Winston-Salem$0
Parks & Recreation
Raleigh$1,391
Winston-Salem$801
Education
Raleigh$6
Winston-Salem$0

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

RaleighWinston-Salem
Sales Tax
$858
$297
Income Tax
$806
$521
Intergovernmental
$14,128
$2,560
Charges & Fees
$2,681
$2,604
Other
$4,740
$3,138

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

RaleighWinston-Salem
Fire Protection
$277
$207
Highways & Roads
$448
$0
Education
$6
$0
Public Welfare
$498
$632
Hospitals
$669
$875
Parks & Recreation
$1,391
$801
Housing
$2,712
$3,260
Sewerage
$281
$180
Utilities
$2,469
$2,767
Interest on Debt
$1,513
$865
Other
$3,646
$2,959
B
Raleigh, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 76/100
Good fiscal health
A
Winston-Salem, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 89/100
Excellent fiscal health

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