Dallas, TX vs Virginia Beach, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Virginia Beach, VA spends 22% more per resident than Dallas, TX: $42,515 against $34,849. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Dallas, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 57/100 (grade C) against 47/100 (grade D) for Virginia Beach, VA — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Dallas, TX reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Virginia Beach, VA carries $297 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519 per resident, while Virginia Beach, VA leads with education at $21,342.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 22% of total revenue in Dallas, TX and 100% in Virginia Beach, VA.
Summary
Virginia Beach spends 18.0% more per capita than Dallas ($7,666/person difference). Dallas, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 57/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $9 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $25 | $673 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $831 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,223 | $31,808 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,462 |
| Other | $584 | $3,301 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $1,126 |
| Fire Protection | $305 | $512 |
| Highways & Roads | $201 | $0 |
| Education | $62 | $21,342 |
| Public Welfare | $215 | $2,071 |
| Health | $0 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $385 | $1,036 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $1,574 |
| Housing | $444 | $2,788 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $140 |
| Utilities | $833 | $3,523 |
| General Admin | $25,827 | $0 |
| Other | $5,059 | $7,978 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.