Arlington, VA vs Hampton, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Arlington, VA spends 52% more per resident than Hampton, VA: $69,233 against $45,522. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Hampton, VA edges Arlington, VA on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 60/100 (grade C) to 58/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Hampton, 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 Hampton, VA at $21,725.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 7% of total revenue in Arlington, VA and 8% in Hampton, VA.
Summary
Arlington spends 52.1% more per capita than Hampton ($23,711/person difference). Hampton, VA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 60/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $27 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $554 | $1,697 |
| Income Tax | $466 | $1,516 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,733 | $1 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,576 | $0 |
| Other | $5,381 | $2,522 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,158 | $1,158 |
| Fire Protection | $694 | $730 |
| Highways & Roads | $780 | $392 |
| Education | $28,519 | $21,725 |
| Public Welfare | $3,283 | $249 |
| Health | $851 | $252 |
| Hospitals | $2,783 | $3,201 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,793 | $3,179 |
| Housing | $4,402 | $2,418 |
| Sewerage | $57 | $87 |
| Utilities | $9,221 | $4,239 |
| Other | $13,692 | $7,892 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.