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

Suffolk, VA

Population: 94,856 (2022) · Small Cities (50K–100K)

B
71/100

Good fiscal health — above-average across most metrics

Total Spending
$4.5B
Per Capita
$47,680
Total Revenue
$6.8B
Total Debt
$32.0M

Spending Breakdown

Education
46.3%$2.1B
Other
15.9%$718.7M
Utilities
10.1%$454.7M
Housing & Community Development
7.8%$352.3M
Public Welfare
6.8%$309.2M
Hospitals
5.1%$229.3M
Parks & Recreation
2.5%$112.8M
Fire Protection
1.5%$69.2M
Highways & Roads
1.1%$49.6M
Police
1.0%$45.6M
Health
0.9%$39.6M
Sewerage
0.7%$29.6M
Interest on Debt
0.4%$17.5M

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
0.2%$13.2M
Sales Tax
0.1%$9.1M
Income Tax
1.4%$96.6M
Intergovernmental
2.6%$179.1M
Charges & Fees
4.4%$299.7M
Other
6.5%$440.8M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police$481/person
Fire Protection$729/person
Highways & Roads$523/person
Parks & Recreation$1,189/person
Education$22,082/person
Health$417/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)97/100
Debt Burden (20%)82/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)0/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$32.0M
Long-Term Debt$665.5M
Debt Per Capita$338
Cash & Securities$108.2M

Compare Cities

See how Suffolk 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 Suffolk 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

Suffolk, VA spends $47,680 per resident, based on total expenditures of $4.5B for a population of 94,856. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of B (71/100).

Suffolk, VA has total expenditures of $4.5B and total revenue of $6.8B. The city carries $32.0M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Suffolk, 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.

Suffolk, VA has a Fiscal Health Score of B (71/100). 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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