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

Winston-Salem, NC vs Concord, NC

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

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Concord, NC spends 29% more per resident than Winston-Salem, NC: $16,213 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 54/100 (grade C) for Concord, NC — a 35-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

Winston-Salem, 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 Winston-Salem, NC at $801 per resident and in Concord, NC at $981.

They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Winston-Salem, NC at 9% of total revenue, whereas Concord, NC relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.

Summary

Concord spends 22.6% more per capita than Winston-Salem ($3,669/person difference). Winston-Salem, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 89/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Winston-Salem, NC
Pop. 249,571
A
89/100
Budget Balance97
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Concord, NC
Pop. 105,335
C
54/100
Budget Balance6
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency84
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Winston-Salem
Concord
Total Spending
$3.1B
$1.7B
Spending / Capita
$12,544
$16,213
Total Revenue
$8.2B
$600.8M
Revenue / Capita
$33,050
$5,704
Total Debt
$0
$23.4M
Debt / Capita
$0
$222
Population
249,571
105,335
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Winston-Salem$207
Concord$242
Highways & Roads
Winston-Salem$0
Concord$8
Parks & Recreation
Winston-Salem$801
Concord$981

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

Winston-SalemConcord
Property Tax
$0
$15
Sales Tax
$297
$348
Income Tax
$521
$149
Intergovernmental
$2,560
$5,704
Charges & Fees
$2,604
$2,794
Other
$3,138
$2,455

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

Winston-SalemConcord
Fire Protection
$207
$242
Highways & Roads
$0
$8
Public Welfare
$632
$1,019
Hospitals
$875
$2,283
Parks & Recreation
$801
$981
Housing
$3,260
$2,735
Sewerage
$180
$0
Utilities
$2,767
$3,088
Interest on Debt
$865
$46
Other
$2,959
$5,812
A
Winston-Salem, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 89/100
Excellent fiscal health
C
Concord, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 54/100
Average fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.