Arlington, VA vs Alexandria, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Arlington, VA spends 19% more per resident than Alexandria, VA: $69,233 against $57,994. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Arlington, VA edges Alexandria, VA on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 58/100 (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 Arlington, VA carries $499 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Arlington, VA at $28,519 per resident and in Alexandria, VA at $22,295.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Arlington, VA at 7% of total revenue, whereas Alexandria, VA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 120%.
Summary
Arlington spends 19.4% more per capita than Alexandria ($11,239/person difference). Arlington, VA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 58/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $27 | $38 |
| Sales Tax | $554 | $729 |
| Income Tax | $466 | $603 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,733 | $15,384 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,576 | $0 |
| Other | $5,381 | $6,522 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,158 | $1,312 |
| Fire Protection | $694 | $848 |
| Highways & Roads | $780 | $675 |
| Education | $28,519 | $22,295 |
| Public Welfare | $3,283 | $1,976 |
| Health | $851 | $541 |
| Hospitals | $2,783 | $3,274 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,793 | $2,244 |
| Housing | $4,402 | $4,894 |
| Sewerage | $57 | $615 |
| Utilities | $9,221 | $4,795 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,752 |
| Other | $13,692 | $12,773 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.