Skip to main content
Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Winston-Salem, NC vs Wilmington, NC

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

Summary

Wilmington spends 6.7% 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
Winston-Salem, NC
Pop. 249,571
A
89/100
Budget Balance97
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Wilmington, NC
Pop. 116,933
A
90/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

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

Per Capita Spending by Department

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

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

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

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

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

Compare More Cities