Richmond, VA vs Portsmouth, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Richmond, VA spends 32% more per resident than Portsmouth, VA: $61,661 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 45/100 (grade D) for Richmond, VA — a 30-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Portsmouth, VA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Richmond, VA carries $1,304 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Richmond, VA at $20,033 per resident and in Portsmouth, VA at $20,569.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 10% of total revenue in Richmond, VA and 4% in Portsmouth, VA.
Summary
Richmond spends 32.0% more per capita than Portsmouth ($14,957/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 | $930 | $291 |
| Income Tax | $879 | $2,119 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,985 | $12 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,949 | $2,606 |
| Other | $7,690 | $2,972 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,108 | $1,848 |
| Fire Protection | $921 | $450 |
| Highways & Roads | $738 | $954 |
| Education | $20,033 | $20,569 |
| Public Welfare | $1,535 | $1,406 |
| Health | $341 | $270 |
| Hospitals | $3,770 | $3,784 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,154 | $1,573 |
| Housing | $5,951 | $3,282 |
| Sewerage | $17 | $298 |
| Utilities | $7,265 | $4,446 |
| Interest on Debt | $3,048 | $63 |
| Other | $14,781 | $7,760 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.