Roanoke, VA vs Portsmouth, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Portsmouth, VA spends 21% more per resident than Roanoke, VA: $46,704 against $38,513. 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 59/100 (grade C) for Roanoke, VA — a 16-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Portsmouth, 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 Portsmouth, VA at $20,569.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 13% of total revenue in Roanoke, VA and 4% in Portsmouth, VA.
Summary
Portsmouth spends 17.5% more per capita than Roanoke ($8,191/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 | $472 | $291 |
| Income Tax | $386 | $2,119 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,358 | $12 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,606 |
| Other | $2,424 | $2,972 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,543 | $1,848 |
| Fire Protection | $235 | $450 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,357 | $954 |
| Education | $18,609 | $20,569 |
| Public Welfare | $0 | $1,406 |
| Health | $573 | $270 |
| Hospitals | $511 | $3,784 |
| Parks & Recreation | $950 | $1,573 |
| Housing | $2,054 | $3,282 |
| Sewerage | $112 | $298 |
| Utilities | $3,633 | $4,446 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $63 |
| Other | $8,936 | $7,760 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.