Alexandria, VA vs Portsmouth, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Alexandria, VA spends 24% more per resident than Portsmouth, VA: $57,994 against $46,704. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Portsmouth, VA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 53/100 (grade C) for Alexandria, VA — a 22-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Alexandria, VA at $22,295 per resident and in Portsmouth, VA at $20,569.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Alexandria, VA at 120% of total revenue, whereas Portsmouth, VA relies most on other revenue at 4%.
Summary
Alexandria spends 24.2% more per capita than Portsmouth ($11,289/person difference). Portsmouth, VA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $38 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $729 | $291 |
| Income Tax | $603 | $2,119 |
| Intergovernmental | $15,384 | $12 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,606 |
| Other | $6,522 | $2,972 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,312 | $1,848 |
| Fire Protection | $848 | $450 |
| Highways & Roads | $675 | $954 |
| Education | $22,295 | $20,569 |
| Public Welfare | $1,976 | $1,406 |
| Health | $541 | $270 |
| Hospitals | $3,274 | $3,784 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,244 | $1,573 |
| Housing | $4,894 | $3,282 |
| Sewerage | $615 | $298 |
| Utilities | $4,795 | $4,446 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,752 | $63 |
| Other | $12,773 | $7,760 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.