Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY vs Virginia Beach, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Virginia Beach, VA outspends Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY by a wide margin per resident — $42,515 versus $20,200, a 110% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Virginia Beach, VA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 47/100 (grade D) against 35/100 (grade D) for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY — a 12-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Virginia Beach, VA carries the lighter load at $297 per resident versus $3,553 for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY leads with fire protection at $1,132 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 Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY at 103% of total revenue, whereas Virginia Beach, VA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Virginia Beach spends 52.5% more per capita than Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) ($22,315/person difference). Virginia Beach, VA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (D, 47/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $1,138 | $673 |
| Income Tax | $24 | $831 |
| Intergovernmental | $412 | $31,808 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,823 | $1,462 |
| Other | $8,878 | $3,301 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $701 | $1,126 |
| Fire Protection | $1,132 | $512 |
| Education | $956 | $21,342 |
| Public Welfare | $1,849 | $2,071 |
| Health | $379 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $779 | $1,036 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,070 | $1,574 |
| Housing | $2,382 | $2,788 |
| Sewerage | $249 | $140 |
| Utilities | $3,844 | $3,523 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,517 | $0 |
| Other | $5,344 | $7,978 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.