Skip to main content
Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Wilmington, NC vs Durham, NC

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

Summary

Durham spends 57.0% more per capita than Wilmington ($17,821/person difference). Wilmington, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Wilmington, NC
Pop. 116,933
A
90/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Durham, NC
Pop. 284,094
B
66/100
Budget Balance43
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency37
Revenue Diversity95
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Wilmington
Durham
Total Spending
$1.6B
$8.9B
Spending / Capita
$13,444
$31,264
Total Revenue
$2.6B
$4.9B
Revenue / Capita
$22,288
$17,235
Total Debt
$0
$0
Debt / Capita
$0
$0
Population
116,933
284,094
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Wilmington$0
Durham$921
Fire Protection
Wilmington$305
Durham$682
Highways & Roads
Wilmington$269
Durham$461
Parks & Recreation
Wilmington$966
Durham$0
Education
Wilmington$0
Durham$17,100
Health
Wilmington$0
Durham$517

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

WilmingtonDurham
Sales Tax
$689
$0
Income Tax
$0
$164
Intergovernmental
$2,051
$6,775
Other
$1,201
$924

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

WilmingtonDurham
Police
$0
$921
Fire Protection
$305
$682
Highways & Roads
$269
$461
Education
$0
$17,100
Public Welfare
$811
$0
Health
$0
$517
Hospitals
$1,195
$159
Parks & Recreation
$966
$0
Housing
$3,380
$1,169
Sewerage
$88
$0
Utilities
$1,119
$2,350
Interest on Debt
$320
$32
General Admin
$0
$43
Other
$4,991
$7,830
A
Wilmington, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 90/100
Excellent fiscal health
B
Durham, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 66/100
Good fiscal health

Compare More Cities