Houston, TX vs Virginia Beach, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Virginia Beach, VA outspends Houston, TX by a wide margin per resident — $42,515 versus $14,400, a 195% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Houston, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 47/100 (grade D) for Virginia Beach, VA — a 36-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Virginia Beach, VA carries the lighter load at $297 per resident versus $863 for Houston, TX. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Houston, TX leads with parks and recreation at $361 per resident, while Virginia Beach, VA leads with education at $21,342.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Houston, TX at 7% of total revenue, whereas Virginia Beach, VA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Virginia Beach spends 66.1% more per capita than Houston ($28,115/person difference). Houston, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $181 | $673 |
| Income Tax | $39 | $831 |
| Intergovernmental | $33 | $31,808 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,475 | $1,462 |
| Other | $3,960 | $3,301 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,126 |
| Fire Protection | $295 | $512 |
| Highways & Roads | $175 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $21,342 |
| Public Welfare | $533 | $2,071 |
| Health | $210 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $511 | $1,036 |
| Parks & Recreation | $361 | $1,574 |
| Housing | $4,288 | $2,788 |
| Sewerage | $386 | $140 |
| Utilities | $1,339 | $3,523 |
| Other | $6,301 | $7,978 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.