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

Newport News, VA

Population: 185,118 (2022) · Mid-Size Cities (100K–250K)

F
32/100

Critical — severe fiscal distress requiring immediate attention

Total Spending
$10.5B
Per Capita
$56,948
Total Revenue
$6.2B
Total Debt
$409.7M

Spending Breakdown

Education
40.7%$4.3B
Other
20.7%$2.2B
Utilities
12.9%$1.4B
Housing & Community Development
8.5%$893.5M
Hospitals
4.8%$510.1M
Parks & Recreation
3.7%$389.1M
Police
3.2%$342.0M
Public Welfare
2.0%$211.9M
Highways & Roads
1.2%$129.9M
Fire Protection
1.2%$121.8M
Health
0.7%$69.9M
Sewerage
0.4%$40.6M

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
1.1%$70.7M
Income Tax
2.4%$151.8M
Intergovernmental
2.7%$166.4M
Charges & Fees
17.0%$1.1B
Other
14.1%$874.2M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police$1,848/person
Fire Protection$658/person
Highways & Roads$702/person
Parks & Recreation$2,102/person
Education$23,175/person
Health$377/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)7/100
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$409.7M
Long-Term Debt$474.5M
Debt Per Capita$2,213
Cash & Securities$42.6M

Compare Cities

See how Newport News 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 Newport News 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

Newport News, VA spends $56,948 per resident, based on total expenditures of $10.5B for a population of 185,118. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of F (32/100).

Newport News, VA has total expenditures of $10.5B and total revenue of $6.2B. The city carries $409.7M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Newport News, 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.

Newport News, VA has a Fiscal Health Score of F (32/100). 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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