Roanoke, VA vs Arlington, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Arlington, VA outspends Roanoke, VA by a wide margin per resident — $69,233 versus $38,513, a 80% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Roanoke, VA edges Arlington, VA on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 59/100 (grade C) to 58/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Roanoke, VA carries the lighter load at $7 per resident versus $499 for Arlington, VA. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Roanoke, VA at $18,609 per resident and in Arlington, VA at $28,519.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 13% of total revenue in Roanoke, VA and 7% in Arlington, VA.
Summary
Arlington spends 44.4% more per capita than Roanoke ($30,720/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 | $27 |
| Sales Tax | $472 | $554 |
| Income Tax | $386 | $466 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,358 | $4,733 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,576 |
| Other | $2,424 | $5,381 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,543 | $2,158 |
| Fire Protection | $235 | $694 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,357 | $780 |
| Education | $18,609 | $28,519 |
| Public Welfare | $0 | $3,283 |
| Health | $573 | $851 |
| Hospitals | $511 | $2,783 |
| Parks & Recreation | $950 | $2,793 |
| Housing | $2,054 | $4,402 |
| Sewerage | $112 | $57 |
| Utilities | $3,633 | $9,221 |
| Other | $8,936 | $13,692 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.