Hampton, VA vs Arlington, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Arlington, VA spends 52% more per resident than Hampton, VA: $69,233 against $45,522. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Hampton, VA edges Arlington, VA on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 60/100 (grade C) to 58/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Hampton, VA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Arlington, VA carries $499 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Hampton, VA at $21,725 per resident and in Arlington, VA at $28,519.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 8% of total revenue in Hampton, VA and 7% in Arlington, VA.
Summary
Arlington spends 34.2% more per capita than Hampton ($23,711/person difference). Hampton, VA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 60/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $27 |
| Sales Tax | $1,697 | $554 |
| Income Tax | $1,516 | $466 |
| Intergovernmental | $1 | $4,733 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,576 |
| Other | $2,522 | $5,381 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,158 | $2,158 |
| Fire Protection | $730 | $694 |
| Highways & Roads | $392 | $780 |
| Education | $21,725 | $28,519 |
| Public Welfare | $249 | $3,283 |
| Health | $252 | $851 |
| Hospitals | $3,201 | $2,783 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,179 | $2,793 |
| Housing | $2,418 | $4,402 |
| Sewerage | $87 | $57 |
| Utilities | $4,239 | $9,221 |
| Other | $7,892 | $13,692 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.