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

Tulsa, OK vs Raleigh, NC

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

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Raleigh, NC outspends Tulsa, OK by a wide margin per resident — $13,911 versus $5,250, a 165% 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 56/100 (grade C) for Tulsa, OK — a 20-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

Tulsa, OK 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: Tulsa, OK leads with health at $762 per resident, while Raleigh, NC leads with parks and recreation at $1,391.

Summary

Raleigh spends 62.3% more per capita than Tulsa ($8,661/person difference). Raleigh, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 76/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Tulsa, OK
Pop. 411,938
C
56/100
Budget Balance4
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
Raleigh, NC
Pop. 465,517
B
76/100
Budget Balance82
Debt Burden68
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity67
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Tulsa
Raleigh
Total Spending
$2.2B
$6.5B
Spending / Capita
$5,250
$13,911
Total Revenue
$0
$13.9B
Revenue / Capita
$0
$29,940
Total Debt
$0
$421.6M
Debt / Capita
$0
$906
Population
411,938
465,517
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Tulsa$628
Raleigh$0
Fire Protection
Tulsa$196
Raleigh$277
Highways & Roads
Tulsa$257
Raleigh$448
Parks & Recreation
Tulsa$154
Raleigh$1,391
Education
Tulsa$0
Raleigh$6
Health
Tulsa$762
Raleigh$0

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

TulsaRaleigh
Sales Tax
$97
$858
Income Tax
$0
$806
Intergovernmental
$0
$14,128
Charges & Fees
$0
$2,681
Other
$53
$4,740

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

TulsaRaleigh
Police
$628
$0
Fire Protection
$196
$277
Highways & Roads
$257
$448
Education
$0
$6
Public Welfare
$86
$498
Health
$762
$0
Hospitals
$0
$669
Parks & Recreation
$154
$1,391
Housing
$350
$2,712
Sewerage
$27
$281
Utilities
$41
$2,469
Interest on Debt
$0
$1,513
Other
$2,748
$3,646
C
Tulsa, OK
Fiscal Health Score: 56/100
Average fiscal health
B
Raleigh, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 76/100
Good fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.