Portsmouth, VA vs Roanoke, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Portsmouth, VA spends 21% more per resident than Roanoke, VA: $46,704 against $38,513. 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 59/100 (grade C) for Roanoke, VA — a 16-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Portsmouth, VA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Roanoke, VA carries $7 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Portsmouth, VA at $20,569 per resident and in Roanoke, VA at $18,609.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 4% of total revenue in Portsmouth, VA and 13% in Roanoke, VA.
Summary
Portsmouth spends 21.3% more per capita than Roanoke ($8,191/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 | $291 | $472 |
| Income Tax | $2,119 | $386 |
| Intergovernmental | $12 | $1,358 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,606 | $0 |
| Other | $2,972 | $2,424 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,848 | $1,543 |
| Fire Protection | $450 | $235 |
| Highways & Roads | $954 | $1,357 |
| Education | $20,569 | $18,609 |
| Public Welfare | $1,406 | $0 |
| Health | $270 | $573 |
| Hospitals | $3,784 | $511 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,573 | $950 |
| Housing | $3,282 | $2,054 |
| Sewerage | $298 | $112 |
| Utilities | $4,446 | $3,633 |
| Interest on Debt | $63 | $0 |
| Other | $7,760 | $8,936 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.