San Jose, CA vs Virginia Beach, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Virginia Beach, VA outspends San Jose, CA by a wide margin per resident — $42,515 versus $17,934, a 137% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
San Jose, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 47/100 (grade D) for Virginia Beach, VA — a 43-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
San Jose, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Virginia Beach, VA carries $297 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: San Jose, CA leads with parks and recreation at $1,424 per resident, while Virginia Beach, VA leads with education at $21,342.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in San Jose, CA at 9% of total revenue, whereas Virginia Beach, VA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Virginia Beach spends 57.8% more per capita than San Jose ($24,581/person difference). San Jose, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $40 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $315 | $673 |
| Income Tax | $1,935 | $831 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,680 | $31,808 |
| Charges & Fees | $608 | $1,462 |
| Other | $3,519 | $3,301 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,126 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $512 |
| Education | $0 | $21,342 |
| Public Welfare | $810 | $2,071 |
| Health | $609 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $1,254 | $1,036 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,424 | $1,574 |
| Housing | $4,897 | $2,788 |
| Sewerage | $161 | $140 |
| Utilities | $2,533 | $3,523 |
| Other | $6,247 | $7,978 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.