Hampton, VA vs Newport News, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Newport News, VA spends 25% more per resident than Hampton, VA: $56,948 against $45,522. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Hampton, VA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 60/100 (grade C) against 32/100 (grade F) for Newport News, VA — a 28-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Hampton, VA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Newport News, VA carries $2,213 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 Newport News, VA at $23,175.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Hampton, VA at 8% of total revenue, whereas Newport News, VA relies most on charges and fees at 17%.
Summary
Newport News spends 20.1% more per capita than Hampton ($11,426/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)
| Sales Tax | $1,697 | $382 |
| Income Tax | $1,516 | $820 |
| Intergovernmental | $1 | $899 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $5,701 |
| Other | $2,522 | $4,722 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,158 | $1,848 |
| Fire Protection | $730 | $658 |
| Highways & Roads | $392 | $702 |
| Education | $21,725 | $23,175 |
| Public Welfare | $249 | $1,145 |
| Health | $252 | $377 |
| Hospitals | $3,201 | $2,755 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,179 | $2,102 |
| Housing | $2,418 | $4,827 |
| Sewerage | $87 | $219 |
| Utilities | $4,239 | $7,332 |
| Other | $7,892 | $11,810 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.