Las Vegas, NV vs Virginia Beach, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Virginia Beach, VA outspends Las Vegas, NV by a wide margin per resident — $42,515 versus $9,085, a 368% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Las Vegas, NV holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 82/100 (grade A) against 47/100 (grade D) for Virginia Beach, VA — a 35-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Las Vegas, NV 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: Las Vegas, NV leads with parks and recreation at $1,028 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 Las Vegas, NV at 34% of total revenue, whereas Virginia Beach, VA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Virginia Beach spends 78.6% more per capita than Las Vegas ($33,430/person difference). Las Vegas, NV has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 82/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $50 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $386 | $673 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $831 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,137 | $31,808 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,462 |
| Other | $2,806 | $3,301 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $945 | $1,126 |
| Fire Protection | $280 | $512 |
| Highways & Roads | $45 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $21,342 |
| Public Welfare | $705 | $2,071 |
| Health | $0 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $356 | $1,036 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,028 | $1,574 |
| Housing | $23 | $2,788 |
| Sewerage | $332 | $140 |
| Utilities | $129 | $3,523 |
| Other | $5,243 | $7,978 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.