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

Arlington, VA

Population: 235,845 (2022) · Mid-Size Cities (100K–250K)

C
58/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$16.3B
Per Capita
$69,233
Total Revenue
$18.1B
Total Debt
$117.7M

Spending Breakdown

Education
41.2%$6.7B
Other
19.8%$3.2B
Utilities
13.3%$2.2B
Housing & Community Development
6.4%$1.0B
Public Welfare
4.7%$774.2M
Parks & Recreation
4.0%$658.7M
Hospitals
4.0%$656.4M
Police
3.1%$509.0M
Health
1.2%$200.8M
Highways & Roads
1.1%$184.0M
Fire Protection
1.0%$163.7M
Sewerage
0.1%$13.4M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Property Tax
0.0%$6.3M
Sales Tax
0.7%$130.7M
Income Tax
0.6%$110.0M
Intergovernmental
6.2%$1.1B
Charges & Fees
3.4%$607.6M
Other
7.0%$1.3B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police$2,158/person
Fire Protection$694/person
Highways & Roads$780/person
Parks & Recreation$2,793/person
Education$28,519/person
Health$851/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)39/100
Debt Burden (20%)90/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)0/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$117.7M
Long-Term Debt$1.0B
Debt Per Capita$499
Cash & Securities$35.4M

Compare Cities

See how Arlington stacks up against another city.

vs Virginia Beach, VAvs Chesapeake, VAvs Norfolk, VA
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Virginia

Virginia Beach, VA

Pop. 458K

D
Total Spending
$19.5B
Per Capita
$42,515

Chesapeake, VA

Pop. 249K

D
Total Spending
$11.4B
Per Capita
$45,860

Norfolk, VA

Pop. 237K

D
Total Spending
$12.1B
Per Capita
$50,880

Richmond, VA

Pop. 227K

D
Total Spending
$14.0B
Per Capita
$61,661

Compare Arlington With

Virginia Beach, VA

Spending: $42,515/person · Grade: D

Chesapeake, VA

Spending: $45,860/person · Grade: D

Norfolk, VA

Spending: $50,880/person · Grade: D

Richmond, VA

Spending: $61,661/person · Grade: D

Frequently Asked Questions

Arlington, VA spends $69,233 per resident, based on total expenditures of $16.3B for a population of 235,845. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (58/100).

Arlington, VA has total expenditures of $16.3B and total revenue of $18.1B. The city carries $117.7M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Arlington, VA employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Arlington, VA has a Fiscal Health Score of C (58/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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