San Diego, CA vs Raleigh, NC
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: San Diego, CA leads with police at $3,335 per resident, while Raleigh, NC leads with parks and recreation at $1,391.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in San Diego, CA at 39% of total revenue, whereas Raleigh, NC relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 47%.
Summary
San Diego spends 211.3% 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 | $124 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $63 | $858 |
| Income Tax | $194 | $806 |
| Intergovernmental | $57 | $14,128 |
| Charges & Fees | $14 | $2,681 |
| Other | $3,801 | $4,740 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,335 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,278 | $277 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,408 | $448 |
| Education | $2,005 | $6 |
| Public Welfare | $700 | $498 |
| Health | $411 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $669 |
| Parks & Recreation | $436 | $1,391 |
| Housing | $4,476 | $2,712 |
| Sewerage | $43 | $281 |
| Utilities | $11,704 | $2,469 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,513 |
| Other | $17,509 | $3,646 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.