Alexandria, VA vs Roanoke, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Alexandria, VA spends 51% more per resident than Roanoke, VA: $57,994 against $38,513. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Roanoke, VA edges Alexandria, VA on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 59/100 (grade C) to 53/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Alexandria, VA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Roanoke, VA carries $7 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 Roanoke, VA at $18,609.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Alexandria, VA at 120% of total revenue, whereas Roanoke, VA relies most on other revenue at 13%.
Summary
Alexandria spends 50.6% more per capita than Roanoke ($19,480/person difference). Roanoke, VA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 59/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $38 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $729 | $472 |
| Income Tax | $603 | $386 |
| Intergovernmental | $15,384 | $1,358 |
| Other | $6,522 | $2,424 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,312 | $1,543 |
| Fire Protection | $848 | $235 |
| Highways & Roads | $675 | $1,357 |
| Education | $22,295 | $18,609 |
| Public Welfare | $1,976 | $0 |
| Health | $541 | $573 |
| Hospitals | $3,274 | $511 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,244 | $950 |
| Housing | $4,894 | $2,054 |
| Sewerage | $615 | $112 |
| Utilities | $4,795 | $3,633 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,752 | $0 |
| Other | $12,773 | $8,936 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.