Roanoke, VA vs Chesapeake, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chesapeake, VA spends 19% more per resident than Roanoke, VA: $45,860 against $38,513. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Roanoke, VA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 59/100 (grade C) against 41/100 (grade D) for Chesapeake, VA — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Roanoke, VA carries the lighter load at $7 per resident versus $684 for Chesapeake, 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 Chesapeake, VA at $25,005.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 13% of total revenue in Roanoke, VA and 3764% in Chesapeake, VA.
Summary
Chesapeake spends 16.0% more per capita than Roanoke ($7,346/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 | $12 |
| Sales Tax | $472 | $39 |
| Income Tax | $386 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,358 | $5 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,780 |
| Other | $2,424 | $3,671 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,543 | $2,306 |
| Fire Protection | $235 | $755 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,357 | $413 |
| Education | $18,609 | $25,005 |
| Public Welfare | $0 | $2,106 |
| Health | $573 | $481 |
| Hospitals | $511 | $1,086 |
| Parks & Recreation | $950 | $559 |
| Housing | $2,054 | $3,550 |
| Sewerage | $112 | $331 |
| Utilities | $3,633 | $3,148 |
| Other | $8,936 | $6,120 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.