Roanoke, VA vs Newport News, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Newport News, VA spends 48% more per resident than Roanoke, VA: $56,948 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 32/100 (grade F) for Newport News, VA — a 27-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Roanoke, VA carries the lighter load at $7 per resident versus $2,213 for Newport News, 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 Newport News, VA at $23,175.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Roanoke, VA at 13% of total revenue, whereas Newport News, VA relies most on charges and fees at 17%.
Summary
Newport News spends 32.4% more per capita than Roanoke ($18,435/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)
| Sales Tax | $472 | $382 |
| Income Tax | $386 | $820 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,358 | $899 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $5,701 |
| Other | $2,424 | $4,722 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,543 | $1,848 |
| Fire Protection | $235 | $658 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,357 | $702 |
| Education | $18,609 | $23,175 |
| Public Welfare | $0 | $1,145 |
| Health | $573 | $377 |
| Hospitals | $511 | $2,755 |
| Parks & Recreation | $950 | $2,102 |
| Housing | $2,054 | $4,827 |
| Sewerage | $112 | $219 |
| Utilities | $3,633 | $7,332 |
| Other | $8,936 | $11,810 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.