Chicago, IL vs Virginia Beach, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Virginia Beach, VA spends 23% more per resident than Chicago, IL: $42,515 against $34,551. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Chicago, IL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 61/100 (grade C) against 47/100 (grade D) for Virginia Beach, VA — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Virginia Beach, VA carries the lighter load at $297 per resident versus $977 for Chicago, IL. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754 per resident, while Virginia Beach, VA leads with education at $21,342.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Chicago, IL and 100% in Virginia Beach, VA.
Summary
Virginia Beach spends 18.7% more per capita than Chicago ($7,964/person difference). Chicago, IL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 61/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $26 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $74 | $673 |
| Income Tax | $229 | $831 |
| Intergovernmental | $85,083 | $31,808 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,847 | $1,462 |
| Other | $3,463 | $3,301 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,126 |
| Fire Protection | $10,754 | $512 |
| Highways & Roads | $930 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $21,342 |
| Public Welfare | $1,858 | $2,071 |
| Health | $426 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $1,444 | $1,036 |
| Parks & Recreation | $122 | $1,574 |
| Housing | $6,520 | $2,788 |
| Sewerage | $129 | $140 |
| Utilities | $2,983 | $3,523 |
| Other | $9,385 | $7,978 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.