Portsmouth, VA vs Alexandria, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Alexandria, VA spends 24% more per resident than Portsmouth, VA: $57,994 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 53/100 (grade C) for Alexandria, VA — a 22-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Portsmouth, VA at $20,569 per resident and in Alexandria, VA at $22,295.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Portsmouth, VA at 4% of total revenue, whereas Alexandria, VA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 120%.
Summary
Alexandria spends 19.5% more per capita than Portsmouth ($11,289/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)
| Property Tax | $0 | $38 |
| Sales Tax | $291 | $729 |
| Income Tax | $2,119 | $603 |
| Intergovernmental | $12 | $15,384 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,606 | $0 |
| Other | $2,972 | $6,522 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,848 | $1,312 |
| Fire Protection | $450 | $848 |
| Highways & Roads | $954 | $675 |
| Education | $20,569 | $22,295 |
| Public Welfare | $1,406 | $1,976 |
| Health | $270 | $541 |
| Hospitals | $3,784 | $3,274 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,573 | $2,244 |
| Housing | $3,282 | $4,894 |
| Sewerage | $298 | $615 |
| Utilities | $4,446 | $4,795 |
| Interest on Debt | $63 | $1,752 |
| Other | $7,760 | $12,773 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.