Alexandria, VA vs Virginia Beach, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Alexandria, VA spends 36% more per resident than Virginia Beach, VA: $57,994 against $42,515. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Alexandria, VA edges Virginia Beach, VA on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 53/100 (grade C) to 47/100 (grade D). 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 Virginia Beach, VA carries $297 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 Virginia Beach, VA at $21,342.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 120% of total revenue in Alexandria, VA and 100% in Virginia Beach, VA.
Summary
Alexandria spends 36.4% more per capita than Virginia Beach ($15,479/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 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $729 | $673 |
| Income Tax | $603 | $831 |
| Intergovernmental | $15,384 | $31,808 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,462 |
| Other | $6,522 | $3,301 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,312 | $1,126 |
| Fire Protection | $848 | $512 |
| Highways & Roads | $675 | $0 |
| Education | $22,295 | $21,342 |
| Public Welfare | $1,976 | $2,071 |
| Health | $541 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $3,274 | $1,036 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,244 | $1,574 |
| Housing | $4,894 | $2,788 |
| Sewerage | $615 | $140 |
| Utilities | $4,795 | $3,523 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,752 | $0 |
| Other | $12,773 | $7,978 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.