Arlington, TX vs Virginia Beach, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Virginia Beach, VA outspends Arlington, TX by a wide margin per resident — $42,515 versus $11,769, a 261% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Arlington, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 47/100 (grade D) for Virginia Beach, VA — a 36-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Virginia Beach, VA carries the lighter load at $297 per resident versus $594 for Arlington, TX. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Arlington, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,352 per resident, while Virginia Beach, VA leads with education at $21,342.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 41% of total revenue in Arlington, TX and 100% in Virginia Beach, VA.
Summary
Virginia Beach spends 72.3% more per capita than Arlington ($30,746/person difference). Arlington, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $507 | $673 |
| Income Tax | $73 | $831 |
| Intergovernmental | $25,062 | $31,808 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,949 | $1,462 |
| Other | $3,897 | $3,301 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,126 |
| Fire Protection | $160 | $512 |
| Highways & Roads | $149 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $21,342 |
| Public Welfare | $826 | $2,071 |
| Health | $219 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $152 | $1,036 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,352 | $1,574 |
| Housing | $2,981 | $2,788 |
| Sewerage | $141 | $140 |
| Utilities | $1,385 | $3,523 |
| Other | $4,404 | $7,978 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.