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

Wilmington, NC vs Winston-Salem, NC

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

Summary

Wilmington spends 7.2% more per capita than Winston-Salem ($899/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
Winston-Salem, NC
Pop. 249,571
A
89/100
Budget Balance97
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Wilmington
Winston-Salem
Total Spending
$1.6B
$3.1B
Spending / Capita
$13,444
$12,544
Total Revenue
$2.6B
$8.2B
Revenue / Capita
$22,288
$33,050
Total Debt
$0
$0
Debt / Capita
$0
$0
Population
116,933
249,571
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Wilmington$305
Winston-Salem$207
Highways & Roads
Wilmington$269
Winston-Salem$0
Parks & Recreation
Wilmington$966
Winston-Salem$801

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

WilmingtonWinston-Salem
Sales Tax
$689
$297
Income Tax
$0
$521
Intergovernmental
$2,051
$2,560
Charges & Fees
$0
$2,604
Other
$1,201
$3,138

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

WilmingtonWinston-Salem
Fire Protection
$305
$207
Highways & Roads
$269
$0
Public Welfare
$811
$632
Hospitals
$1,195
$875
Parks & Recreation
$966
$801
Housing
$3,380
$3,260
Sewerage
$88
$180
Utilities
$1,119
$2,767
Interest on Debt
$320
$865
Other
$4,991
$2,959
A
Wilmington, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 90/100
Excellent fiscal health
A
Winston-Salem, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 89/100
Excellent fiscal health

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