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

Winston-Salem, NC vs Durham, NC

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

Summary

Durham spends 59.9% more per capita than Winston-Salem ($18,720/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
Durham, NC
Pop. 284,094
B
66/100
Budget Balance43
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency37
Revenue Diversity95
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Winston-Salem
Durham
Total Spending
$3.1B
$8.9B
Spending / Capita
$12,544
$31,264
Total Revenue
$8.2B
$4.9B
Revenue / Capita
$33,050
$17,235
Total Debt
$0
$0
Debt / Capita
$0
$0
Population
249,571
284,094
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Winston-Salem$0
Durham$921
Fire Protection
Winston-Salem$207
Durham$682
Highways & Roads
Winston-Salem$0
Durham$461
Parks & Recreation
Winston-Salem$801
Durham$0
Education
Winston-Salem$0
Durham$17,100
Health
Winston-Salem$0
Durham$517

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

Winston-SalemDurham
Sales Tax
$297
$0
Income Tax
$521
$164
Intergovernmental
$2,560
$6,775
Charges & Fees
$2,604
$0
Other
$3,138
$924

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

Winston-SalemDurham
Police
$0
$921
Fire Protection
$207
$682
Highways & Roads
$0
$461
Education
$0
$17,100
Public Welfare
$632
$0
Health
$0
$517
Hospitals
$875
$159
Parks & Recreation
$801
$0
Housing
$3,260
$1,169
Sewerage
$180
$0
Utilities
$2,767
$2,350
Interest on Debt
$865
$32
General Admin
$0
$43
Other
$2,959
$7,830
A
Winston-Salem, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 89/100
Excellent fiscal health
B
Durham, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 66/100
Good fiscal health

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