Washington, DC vs Raleigh, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Raleigh, NC by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $13,911, a 1649% 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 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 35-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Raleigh, NC carries the lighter load at $906 per resident versus $2,516 for Washington, DC. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224 per resident, while Raleigh, NC leads with parks and recreation at $1,391.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 7% of total revenue in Washington, DC and 47% in Raleigh, NC.
Summary
Washington spends 1649.3% more per capita than Raleigh ($229,430/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 | $25 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $991 | $858 |
| Income Tax | $141 | $806 |
| Intergovernmental | $18,754 | $14,128 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,070 | $2,681 |
| Other | $11,518 | $4,740 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $4,183 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $4,262 | $277 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,435 | $448 |
| Education | $53,224 | $6 |
| Public Welfare | $2,498 | $498 |
| Health | $1,009 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $17,668 | $669 |
| Parks & Recreation | $5,459 | $1,391 |
| Housing | $10,296 | $2,712 |
| Sewerage | $2,881 | $281 |
| Utilities | $88,990 | $2,469 |
| Interest on Debt | $58 | $1,513 |
| General Admin | $3,225 | $0 |
| Other | $48,155 | $3,646 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.