Fort Worth, TX vs Virginia Beach, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Virginia Beach, VA outspends Fort Worth, TX by a wide margin per resident — $42,515 versus $15,939, a 167% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Fort Worth, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 63/100 (grade C) against 47/100 (grade D) for Virginia Beach, VA — a 16-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Virginia Beach, VA carries the lighter load at $297 per resident versus $1,921 for Fort Worth, TX. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Fort Worth, TX leads with parks and recreation at $708 per resident, while Virginia Beach, VA leads with education at $21,342.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 15% of total revenue in Fort Worth, TX and 100% in Virginia Beach, VA.
Summary
Virginia Beach spends 62.5% more per capita than Fort Worth ($26,576/person difference). Fort Worth, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 63/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $198 | $673 |
| Income Tax | $851 | $831 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,002 | $31,808 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,594 | $1,462 |
| Other | $3,439 | $3,301 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,126 |
| Fire Protection | $156 | $512 |
| Highways & Roads | $317 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $21,342 |
| Public Welfare | $869 | $2,071 |
| Health | $235 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $1,680 | $1,036 |
| Parks & Recreation | $708 | $1,574 |
| Housing | $4,217 | $2,788 |
| Sewerage | $267 | $140 |
| Utilities | $2,674 | $3,523 |
| Other | $4,817 | $7,978 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.