Winston-Salem, NC vs Greensboro, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Greensboro, NC spends 54% more per resident than Winston-Salem, NC: $19,352 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 58/100 (grade C) for Greensboro, NC — a 31-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Winston-Salem, NC reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Greensboro, NC carries $1,773 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 Greensboro, NC at $3,225.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 9% of total revenue in Winston-Salem, NC and 12% in Greensboro, NC.
Summary
Greensboro spends 35.2% more per capita than Winston-Salem ($6,808/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 | $2,502 |
| Income Tax | $521 | $801 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,560 | $2,640 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,604 | $2,498 |
| Other | $3,138 | $2,691 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $207 | $340 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $570 |
| Education | $0 | $33 |
| Public Welfare | $632 | $1,134 |
| Health | $0 | $329 |
| Hospitals | $875 | $911 |
| Parks & Recreation | $801 | $3,225 |
| Housing | $3,260 | $3,186 |
| Sewerage | $180 | $207 |
| Utilities | $2,767 | $2,932 |
| Interest on Debt | $865 | $1,328 |
| Other | $2,959 | $5,155 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.