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

Wilmington, NC vs Fayetteville, NC

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

Summary

Fayetteville spends 4.3% more per capita than Wilmington ($606/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
Fayetteville, NC
Pop. 208,697
B
70/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency97
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Wilmington
Fayetteville
Total Spending
$1.6B
$2.9B
Spending / Capita
$13,444
$14,049
Total Revenue
$2.6B
$8.5B
Revenue / Capita
$22,288
$40,860
Total Debt
$0
$365.1M
Debt / Capita
$0
$1,749
Population
116,933
208,697
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Wilmington$305
Fayetteville$196
Highways & Roads
Wilmington$269
Fayetteville$0
Parks & Recreation
Wilmington$966
Fayetteville$1,062

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

WilmingtonFayetteville
Sales Tax
$689
$124
Income Tax
$0
$717
Intergovernmental
$2,051
$1,555
Charges & Fees
$0
$3,488
Other
$1,201
$3,474

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

WilmingtonFayetteville
Fire Protection
$305
$196
Highways & Roads
$269
$0
Public Welfare
$811
$378
Hospitals
$1,195
$319
Parks & Recreation
$966
$1,062
Housing
$3,380
$2,914
Sewerage
$88
$0
Utilities
$1,119
$3,100
Interest on Debt
$320
$628
Other
$4,991
$5,454
A
Wilmington, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 90/100
Excellent fiscal health
B
Fayetteville, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 70/100
Good fiscal health

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