Winston-Salem, NC vs Cary, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Cary, NC spends 28% more per resident than Winston-Salem, NC: $16,057 against $12,544. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Winston-Salem, NC holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 89/100 (grade A) against 70/100 (grade B) for Cary, NC — a 19-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Winston-Salem, NC reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Cary, NC carries $582 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Winston-Salem, NC at $801 per resident and in Cary, NC at $1,581.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Winston-Salem, NC at 9% of total revenue, whereas Cary, NC relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Cary spends 21.9% more per capita than Winston-Salem ($3,513/person difference). Winston-Salem, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 89/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $297 | $493 |
| Income Tax | $521 | $801 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,560 | $26,541 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,604 | $1,981 |
| Other | $3,138 | $3,182 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $207 | $353 |
| Public Welfare | $632 | $58 |
| Hospitals | $875 | $322 |
| Parks & Recreation | $801 | $1,581 |
| Housing | $3,260 | $1,880 |
| Sewerage | $180 | $338 |
| Utilities | $2,767 | $3,759 |
| Interest on Debt | $865 | $733 |
| Other | $2,959 | $7,034 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.