Norfolk, VA vs Virginia Beach, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Norfolk, VA spends 20% more per resident than Virginia Beach, VA: $50,880 against $42,515. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Virginia Beach, VA edges Norfolk, VA on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 47/100 (grade D) to 46/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Virginia Beach, VA carries the lighter load at $297 per resident versus $1,370 for Norfolk, VA. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Norfolk, VA at $19,019 per resident and in Virginia Beach, VA at $21,342.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 7% of total revenue in Norfolk, VA and 100% in Virginia Beach, VA.
Summary
Norfolk spends 19.7% more per capita than Virginia Beach ($8,364/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)
| Property Tax | $97 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $1,289 | $673 |
| Income Tax | $896 | $831 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,946 | $31,808 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,679 | $1,462 |
| Other | $3,596 | $3,301 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,718 | $1,126 |
| Fire Protection | $832 | $512 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,186 | $0 |
| Education | $19,019 | $21,342 |
| Public Welfare | $1,311 | $2,071 |
| Health | $519 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $5,390 | $1,036 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,601 | $1,574 |
| Housing | $3,939 | $2,788 |
| Sewerage | $96 | $140 |
| Utilities | $5,495 | $3,523 |
| Other | $9,773 | $7,978 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.