Albuquerque, NM vs Virginia Beach, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Virginia Beach, VA outspends Albuquerque, NM by a wide margin per resident — $42,515 versus $17,237, a 147% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Albuquerque, NM holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 81/100 (grade A) against 47/100 (grade D) for Virginia Beach, VA — a 34-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Virginia Beach, VA carries the lighter load at $297 per resident versus $613 for Albuquerque, NM. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Albuquerque, NM leads with parks and recreation at $1,990 per resident, while Virginia Beach, VA leads with education at $21,342.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Albuquerque, NM at 11% of total revenue, whereas Virginia Beach, VA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Virginia Beach spends 59.5% more per capita than Albuquerque ($25,278/person difference). Albuquerque, NM has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 81/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $36 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $355 | $673 |
| Income Tax | $1,580 | $831 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,897 | $31,808 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,633 | $1,462 |
| Other | $2,174 | $3,301 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,126 |
| Fire Protection | $440 | $512 |
| Highways & Roads | $172 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $21,342 |
| Public Welfare | $419 | $2,071 |
| Health | $291 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $328 | $1,036 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,990 | $1,574 |
| Housing | $4,080 | $2,788 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $140 |
| Utilities | $5,212 | $3,523 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,096 | $0 |
| Other | $3,209 | $7,978 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.