This study focused on characterization of heavy metals and nutrients in the dust of the city of Baoding, China. Thirty six samples were collected from fourteen sampling points including six land-use types. Most of the sites were impervious ground such as office, commercial, residential, industrial and traffic areas, as well as building roofs. Concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn and organic N and P were measured to investigate their distribution and possible sources. The results showed that the mean concentration of pollutants in the building roofs was generally higher than in other areas, followed by the commercial, traffic, industrial, office and residential areas. In addition, the highest concentrations of Cd (5.10 mg·kg-1), Cr (470 mg·kg-1), Pb (997 mg·kg-1), Zn (1377 mg·kg-1) and P (999 mg·kg-1) were found on the building roofs. However, the highest concentration of Cu (867 mg·kg-1) and N (19.40 mg·kg-1) were found in commercial areas. Cd and Cr had the most complex and varied sources. The concentrations of Pb, Zn and Cu in all areas were more consistent and had significant correlations, indicating they were mainly from traffic emissions. Based on the above data, the CDI (chronic daily intake) model was applied to assess the health risks associated with Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn in the dust of Baoding. The results showed that the cancer risk index of Cd was 1.25 × 10-5, which was higher than the soil management standard of the EPA. The high cancer risk indexes indicate a possible increase of approximately 12.5 cancer patients per million people. The non-cancerous average risk index (0.124) of the five heavy metals was less than the standard value, which implied a non-carcinogenic risk to the health of the residents.