Wilmington, NC vs Concord, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Concord, NC spends 21% more per resident than Wilmington, NC: $16,213 against $13,444. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Wilmington, NC holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 54/100 (grade C) for Concord, NC — a 36-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Wilmington, NC reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Concord, NC carries $222 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Wilmington, NC at $966 per resident and in Concord, NC at $981.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 9% of total revenue in Wilmington, NC and 100% in Concord, NC.
Summary
Concord spends 17.1% more per capita than Wilmington ($2,769/person difference). Wilmington, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $15 |
| Sales Tax | $689 | $348 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $149 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,051 | $5,704 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,794 |
| Other | $1,201 | $2,455 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $305 | $242 |
| Highways & Roads | $269 | $8 |
| Public Welfare | $811 | $1,019 |
| Hospitals | $1,195 | $2,283 |
| Parks & Recreation | $966 | $981 |
| Housing | $3,380 | $2,735 |
| Sewerage | $88 | $0 |
| Utilities | $1,119 | $3,088 |
| Interest on Debt | $320 | $46 |
| Other | $4,991 | $5,812 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.