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

Portsmouth, VA

Population: 97,384 (2022) · Small Cities (50K–100K)

B
75/100

Good fiscal health — above-average across most metrics

Total Spending
$4.5B
Per Capita
$46,704
Total Revenue
$6.4B
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Education
44.0%$2.0B
Other
16.6%$755.7M
Utilities
9.5%$433.0M
Hospitals
8.1%$368.5M
Housing & Community Development
7.0%$319.6M
Police
4.0%$180.0M
Parks & Recreation
3.4%$153.2M
Public Welfare
3.0%$137.0M
Highways & Roads
2.0%$92.9M
Fire Protection
1.0%$43.8M
Sewerage
0.6%$29.1M
Health
0.6%$26.3M
Interest on Debt
0.1%$6.2M

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
0.4%$28.4M
Income Tax
3.2%$206.4M
Intergovernmental
0.0%$1.2M
Charges & Fees
3.9%$253.8M
Other
4.5%$289.4M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police$1,848/person
Fire Protection$450/person
Highways & Roads$954/person
Parks & Recreation$1,573/person
Education$20,569/person
Health$270/person

Score Breakdown

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

Compare Cities

See how Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth 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

Portsmouth, VA spends $46,704 per resident, based on total expenditures of $4.5B for a population of 97,384. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of B (75/100).

Portsmouth, VA has total expenditures of $4.5B and total revenue of $6.4B. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Portsmouth, 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.

Portsmouth, VA has a Fiscal Health Score of B (75/100). 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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