Newport News, VA vs Arlington, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Arlington, VA spends 22% more per resident than Newport News, VA: $69,233 against $56,948. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Arlington, VA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 58/100 (grade C) against 32/100 (grade F) for Newport News, VA — a 26-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Arlington, VA carries the lighter load at $499 per resident versus $2,213 for Newport News, VA. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Newport News, VA at $23,175 per resident and in Arlington, VA at $28,519.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Newport News, VA at 17% of total revenue, whereas Arlington, VA relies most on other revenue at 7%.
Summary
Arlington spends 17.7% more per capita than Newport News ($12,285/person difference). Arlington, VA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 58/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $27 |
| Sales Tax | $382 | $554 |
| Income Tax | $820 | $466 |
| Intergovernmental | $899 | $4,733 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,701 | $2,576 |
| Other | $4,722 | $5,381 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,848 | $2,158 |
| Fire Protection | $658 | $694 |
| Highways & Roads | $702 | $780 |
| Education | $23,175 | $28,519 |
| Public Welfare | $1,145 | $3,283 |
| Health | $377 | $851 |
| Hospitals | $2,755 | $2,783 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,102 | $2,793 |
| Housing | $4,827 | $4,402 |
| Sewerage | $219 | $57 |
| Utilities | $7,332 | $9,221 |
| Other | $11,810 | $13,692 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.