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

Lynchburg, VA

Population: 79,166 (2022) · Small Cities (50K–100K)

D
41/100

Below average — significant fiscal challenges in multiple areas

Total Spending
$3.3B
Per Capita
$42,197
Total Revenue
$3.6B
Total Debt
$69.7M

Spending Breakdown

Education
40.3%$1.3B
Utilities
15.4%$514.9M
Other
14.9%$497.7M
Housing & Community Development
9.2%$307.6M
Hospitals
5.1%$171.5M
Public Welfare
4.7%$156.7M
Parks & Recreation
3.0%$101.1M
Interest on Debt
2.6%$86.8M
Highways & Roads
1.9%$62.0M
Fire Protection
1.3%$42.4M
Police
0.8%$25.6M
Health
0.5%$17.3M
Sewerage
0.3%$11.0M

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

Sales Tax
0.2%$6.2M
Income Tax
0.7%$25.4M
Intergovernmental
14.1%$511.3M
Charges & Fees
4.7%$171.8M
Other
13.4%$485.1M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police$324/person
Fire Protection$535/person
Highways & Roads$783/person
Parks & Recreation$1,277/person
Education$17,004/person
Health$218/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)44/100
Debt Burden (20%)0/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)0/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$69.7M
Long-Term Debt$89.0M
Debt Per Capita$880
Cash & Securities$17.2M

Compare Cities

See how Lynchburg 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

Arlington, VA

Pop. 236K

C
Total Spending
$16.3B
Per Capita
$69,233

Compare Lynchburg 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

Arlington, VA

Spending: $69,233/person · Grade: C

Frequently Asked Questions

Lynchburg, VA spends $42,197 per resident, based on total expenditures of $3.3B for a population of 79,166. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of D (41/100).

Lynchburg, VA has total expenditures of $3.3B and total revenue of $3.6B. The city carries $69.7M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Lynchburg, 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.

Lynchburg, VA has a Fiscal Health Score of D (41/100). 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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