Boston, MA vs Virginia Beach, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Boston, MA outspends Virginia Beach, VA by a wide margin per resident — $72,299 versus $42,515, a 70% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Boston, MA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 56/100 (grade C) against 47/100 (grade D) for Virginia Beach, VA — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Virginia Beach, VA carries the lighter load at $297 per resident versus $445 for Boston, MA. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Boston, MA at $30,742 per resident and in Virginia Beach, VA at $21,342.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 17% of total revenue in Boston, MA and 100% in Virginia Beach, VA.
Summary
Boston spends 70.1% more per capita than Virginia Beach ($29,784/person difference). Boston, MA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 56/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $78 | $673 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $831 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,357 | $31,808 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,784 | $1,462 |
| Other | $4,557 | $3,301 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,126 |
| Fire Protection | $1,107 | $512 |
| Highways & Roads | $594 | $0 |
| Education | $30,742 | $21,342 |
| Public Welfare | $1,110 | $2,071 |
| Health | $725 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $2,584 | $1,036 |
| Parks & Recreation | $711 | $1,574 |
| Housing | $6,614 | $2,788 |
| Sewerage | $355 | $140 |
| Utilities | $3,402 | $3,523 |
| General Admin | $5,401 | $0 |
| Other | $18,955 | $7,978 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.