Chesapeake, VA vs Richmond, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Richmond, VA spends 34% more per resident than Chesapeake, VA: $61,661 against $45,860. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Richmond, VA edges Chesapeake, VA on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 45/100 (grade D) to 41/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Chesapeake, VA carries the lighter load at $684 per resident versus $1,304 for Richmond, VA. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Chesapeake, VA at $25,005 per resident and in Richmond, VA at $20,033.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 3764% of total revenue in Chesapeake, VA and 10% in Richmond, VA.
Summary
Richmond spends 25.6% more per capita than Chesapeake ($15,802/person difference). Richmond, VA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (D, 45/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $12 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $39 | $930 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $879 |
| Intergovernmental | $5 | $3,985 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,780 | $3,949 |
| Other | $3,671 | $7,690 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,306 | $2,108 |
| Fire Protection | $755 | $921 |
| Highways & Roads | $413 | $738 |
| Education | $25,005 | $20,033 |
| Public Welfare | $2,106 | $1,535 |
| Health | $481 | $341 |
| Hospitals | $1,086 | $3,770 |
| Parks & Recreation | $559 | $1,154 |
| Housing | $3,550 | $5,951 |
| Sewerage | $331 | $17 |
| Utilities | $3,148 | $7,265 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $3,048 |
| Other | $6,120 | $14,781 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.