Arlington, VA vs Newport News, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Arlington, VA spends 22% more per resident than Newport News, VA: $69,233 against $56,948. 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 32/100 (grade F) for Newport News, VA — a 26-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Arlington, VA carries the lighter load at $499 per resident versus $2,213 for Newport News, 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 Newport News, VA at $23,175.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Arlington, VA at 7% of total revenue, whereas Newport News, VA relies most on charges and fees at 17%.
Summary
Arlington spends 21.6% more per capita than Newport News ($12,285/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 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $554 | $382 |
| Income Tax | $466 | $820 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,733 | $899 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,576 | $5,701 |
| Other | $5,381 | $4,722 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,158 | $1,848 |
| Fire Protection | $694 | $658 |
| Highways & Roads | $780 | $702 |
| Education | $28,519 | $23,175 |
| Public Welfare | $3,283 | $1,145 |
| Health | $851 | $377 |
| Hospitals | $2,783 | $2,755 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,793 | $2,102 |
| Housing | $4,402 | $4,827 |
| Sewerage | $57 | $219 |
| Utilities | $9,221 | $7,332 |
| Other | $13,692 | $11,810 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.