Newport News, VA vs Portsmouth, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Newport News, VA spends 22% more per resident than Portsmouth, VA: $56,948 against $46,704. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Portsmouth, VA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 32/100 (grade F) for Newport News, VA — a 43-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Portsmouth, 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 Newport News, VA at $23,175 per resident and in Portsmouth, VA at $20,569.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Newport News, VA at 17% of total revenue, whereas Portsmouth, VA relies most on other revenue at 4%.
Summary
Newport News spends 21.9% more per capita than Portsmouth ($10,244/person difference). Portsmouth, VA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $382 | $291 |
| Income Tax | $820 | $2,119 |
| Intergovernmental | $899 | $12 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,701 | $2,606 |
| Other | $4,722 | $2,972 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,848 | $1,848 |
| Fire Protection | $658 | $450 |
| Highways & Roads | $702 | $954 |
| Education | $23,175 | $20,569 |
| Public Welfare | $1,145 | $1,406 |
| Health | $377 | $270 |
| Hospitals | $2,755 | $3,784 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,102 | $1,573 |
| Housing | $4,827 | $3,282 |
| Sewerage | $219 | $298 |
| Utilities | $7,332 | $4,446 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $63 |
| Other | $11,810 | $7,760 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.