Roanoke, VA vs Alexandria, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Alexandria, VA spends 51% more per resident than Roanoke, VA: $57,994 against $38,513. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Roanoke, VA edges Alexandria, VA on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 59/100 (grade C) to 53/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Alexandria, 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 Roanoke, VA at $18,609 per resident and in Alexandria, VA at $22,295.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Roanoke, VA at 13% of total revenue, whereas Alexandria, VA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 120%.
Summary
Alexandria spends 33.6% more per capita than Roanoke ($19,480/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)
| Property Tax | $0 | $38 |
| Sales Tax | $472 | $729 |
| Income Tax | $386 | $603 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,358 | $15,384 |
| Other | $2,424 | $6,522 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,543 | $1,312 |
| Fire Protection | $235 | $848 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,357 | $675 |
| Education | $18,609 | $22,295 |
| Public Welfare | $0 | $1,976 |
| Health | $573 | $541 |
| Hospitals | $511 | $3,274 |
| Parks & Recreation | $950 | $2,244 |
| Housing | $2,054 | $4,894 |
| Sewerage | $112 | $615 |
| Utilities | $3,633 | $4,795 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,752 |
| Other | $8,936 | $12,773 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.