Raleigh, NC

53
How we calculate the Raleigh ParkScore® Ranking

The ranking for Raleigh is based on how it compares nationally on five characteristics of an excellent park system: access, investment, acreage, amenities, and equity.

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Access
20 pts
Acreage
58 pts
Investment
81 pts
Amenities
62 pts
Equity
33 pts
43% of Raleigh residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park.
Median City, 100 most populous U.S. cities: 74%
Median City, all urban cities and towns in U.S.: 55%

We’re working to ensure that every person, in every neighborhood, in every city across America has a quality park within a 10-minute walk of home.

Raleigh residents who live within a 10-minute walk of a park
By Age (%)
Children (0 - 19)
41
Adults (20 - 64)
43
Seniors (65+)
46
By Income (%)
High Income
43
Middle Income
41
Low Income
46
By Race/Ethnicity (%)
Native American*
43
Asian*
37
Black*
42
Hispanic
39
Pacific Islander*
44
White*
45
2 or More Races*
42
Other*
40
*Excludes those that report Hispanic origin (which is captured separately from race by the U.S. Census).
Comparing amount of park space between neighborhoods by race/ethnicity
Residents in neighborhoods of color* have access to 11% less park space per person than the city’s average neighborhood and 11% less than those in white neighborhoods. Additionally, we compared park space in the city’s average neighborhood with others by specific race and ethnicity:
*Neighborhoods of color are defined as those in Raleigh with the highest concentrations of people who identify as Black, Hispanic, Indigenous and Native American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, multiple races, or other communities of color (more information).
Comparing amount of park space between neighborhoods by income
Residents in low-income neighborhoods have access to 22% less park space per person than those in the average Raleigh neighborhood and 27% less than those in high-income neighborhoods.
12% of Raleigh’s land is used for parks and recreation.
National median 15%
How do park amenities measure up?
These six amenities reflect activities popular among a diverse selection of user groups (kids, teenagers, adults, seniors). For each amenity, Raleigh is awarded points based on their abundance relative to the other 99 cities.
Basketball Hoops
62/100pts
5.1 per 10,000 people
Playgrounds
32/100pts
2.4 per 10,000 people
Rec & Senior Centers
100/100pts
1.5 per 20,000 people
Dog Parks
61/100pts
1.7 per 100,000 people
Bathrooms
72/100pts
2.2 per 10,000 people
Splashpads
45/100pts
1.2 per 100,000 people
How much is Raleigh investing in parks?
We compared Raleigh with the other 100 most populous cities in the nation on total park investment per person, aggregating all public and private spending for any publicly accessible park in the city.
Park Investment (Three-Year Average)
  • City agency
    $163 (91%)
  • Other public agencies
    $13.66 (8%)
  • Private organizations
    $0 (%)
  • Monetized volunteer hours
    $2.97 (2%)
$180
Total Spending Per Capita
  • National benchmark: Relative park spending by organization type
  • Average among 100 most populous cities
  • City agency: 85.5%
  • Other public agencies: 7%
  • Private organizations: 5.5%
  • Monetized volunteer hours: 2%
  • Total per capita spending: $108 per person