Alexandria, VA vs Chesapeake, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Alexandria, VA spends 26% more per resident than Chesapeake, VA: $57,994 against $45,860. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Alexandria, VA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 53/100 (grade C) against 41/100 (grade D) for Chesapeake, VA — a 12-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Alexandria, VA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Chesapeake, VA carries $684 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Alexandria, VA at $22,295 per resident and in Chesapeake, VA at $25,005.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Alexandria, VA at 120% of total revenue, whereas Chesapeake, VA relies most on other revenue at 3764%.
Summary
Alexandria spends 26.5% more per capita than Chesapeake ($12,134/person difference). Alexandria, VA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 53/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $38 | $12 |
| Sales Tax | $729 | $39 |
| Income Tax | $603 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $15,384 | $5 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,780 |
| Other | $6,522 | $3,671 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,312 | $2,306 |
| Fire Protection | $848 | $755 |
| Highways & Roads | $675 | $413 |
| Education | $22,295 | $25,005 |
| Public Welfare | $1,976 | $2,106 |
| Health | $541 | $481 |
| Hospitals | $3,274 | $1,086 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,244 | $559 |
| Housing | $4,894 | $3,550 |
| Sewerage | $615 | $331 |
| Utilities | $4,795 | $3,148 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,752 | $0 |
| Other | $12,773 | $6,120 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.