Raleigh, NC vs Winston-Salem, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Raleigh, NC and Winston-Salem, NC spend within 10.9% of each other per resident — $13,911 versus $12,544 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Winston-Salem, NC holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 89/100 (grade A) against 76/100 (grade B) for Raleigh, NC — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Winston-Salem, NC reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Raleigh, NC carries $906 per resident. 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 Winston-Salem, NC at $801.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Raleigh, NC at 47% of total revenue, whereas Winston-Salem, NC relies most on other revenue at 9%.
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
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| 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)
| 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 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.