Newport News, VA vs Roanoke, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Newport News, VA spends 48% more per resident than Roanoke, VA: $56,948 against $38,513. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Roanoke, VA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 59/100 (grade C) against 32/100 (grade F) for Newport News, VA — a 27-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Roanoke, VA carries the lighter load at $7 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 Roanoke, VA at $18,609.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Newport News, VA at 17% of total revenue, whereas Roanoke, VA relies most on other revenue at 13%.
Summary
Newport News spends 47.9% more per capita than Roanoke ($18,435/person difference). Roanoke, VA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 59/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $382 | $472 |
| Income Tax | $820 | $386 |
| Intergovernmental | $899 | $1,358 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,701 | $0 |
| Other | $4,722 | $2,424 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,848 | $1,543 |
| Fire Protection | $658 | $235 |
| Highways & Roads | $702 | $1,357 |
| Education | $23,175 | $18,609 |
| Public Welfare | $1,145 | $0 |
| Health | $377 | $573 |
| Hospitals | $2,755 | $511 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,102 | $950 |
| Housing | $4,827 | $2,054 |
| Sewerage | $219 | $112 |
| Utilities | $7,332 | $3,633 |
| Other | $11,810 | $8,936 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.