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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Charlotte, NC vs Virginia Beach, VA

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Virginia Beach spends 62.7% more per capita than Charlotte ($26,662/person difference). Charlotte, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 63/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Charlotte, NC
Pop. 875,045
C
63/100
Budget Balance71
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Virginia Beach, VA
Pop. 457,900
D
47/100
Budget Balance28
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Charlotte
Virginia Beach
Total Spending
$13.9B
$19.5B
Spending / Capita
$15,854
$42,515
Total Revenue
$43.5B
$14.6B
Revenue / Capita
$49,746
$31,808
Total Debt
$2.4B
$135.8M
Debt / Capita
$2,690
$297
Population
875,045
457,900
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Charlotte$0
Virginia Beach$1,126
Fire Protection
Charlotte$463
Virginia Beach$512
Highways & Roads
Charlotte$41
Virginia Beach$0
Parks & Recreation
Charlotte$1,571
Virginia Beach$1,574
Education
Charlotte$0
Virginia Beach$21,342
Health
Charlotte$0
Virginia Beach$426

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

CharlotteVirginia Beach
Sales Tax
$541
$673
Income Tax
$366
$831
Intergovernmental
$1,859
$31,808
Charges & Fees
$2,459
$1,462
Other
$4,866
$3,301

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

CharlotteVirginia Beach
Police
$0
$1,126
Fire Protection
$463
$512
Highways & Roads
$41
$0
Education
$0
$21,342
Public Welfare
$672
$2,071
Health
$0
$426
Hospitals
$1,243
$1,036
Parks & Recreation
$1,571
$1,574
Housing
$3,944
$2,788
Sewerage
$0
$140
Utilities
$2,244
$3,523
Interest on Debt
$2,226
$0
Other
$3,448
$7,978
C
Charlotte, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 63/100
Average fiscal health
D
Virginia Beach, VA
Fiscal Health Score: 47/100
Below average fiscal health

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