Arlington, VA vs Chesapeake, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Arlington, VA spends 51% more per resident than Chesapeake, VA: $69,233 against $45,860. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Arlington, VA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 58/100 (grade C) against 41/100 (grade D) for Chesapeake, VA — a 17-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Arlington, VA carries the lighter load at $499 per resident versus $684 for Chesapeake, VA. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Arlington, VA at $28,519 per resident and in Chesapeake, VA at $25,005.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 7% of total revenue in Arlington, VA and 3764% in Chesapeake, VA.
Summary
Arlington spends 51.0% more per capita than Chesapeake ($23,373/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 | $12 |
| Sales Tax | $554 | $39 |
| Income Tax | $466 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,733 | $5 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,576 | $1,780 |
| Other | $5,381 | $3,671 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,158 | $2,306 |
| Fire Protection | $694 | $755 |
| Highways & Roads | $780 | $413 |
| Education | $28,519 | $25,005 |
| Public Welfare | $3,283 | $2,106 |
| Health | $851 | $481 |
| Hospitals | $2,783 | $1,086 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,793 | $559 |
| Housing | $4,402 | $3,550 |
| Sewerage | $57 | $331 |
| Utilities | $9,221 | $3,148 |
| Other | $13,692 | $6,120 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.