Tulsa, OK vs Virginia Beach, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Virginia Beach, VA outspends Tulsa, OK by a wide margin per resident — $42,515 versus $5,250, a 710% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Tulsa, OK holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 56/100 (grade C) against 47/100 (grade D) for Virginia Beach, VA — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Tulsa, OK 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: Tulsa, OK leads with health at $762 per resident, while Virginia Beach, VA leads with education at $21,342.
Summary
Virginia Beach spends 87.7% more per capita than Tulsa ($37,265/person difference). Tulsa, OK has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 56/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $97 | $673 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $831 |
| Intergovernmental | $0 | $31,808 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,462 |
| Other | $53 | $3,301 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $628 | $1,126 |
| Fire Protection | $196 | $512 |
| Highways & Roads | $257 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $21,342 |
| Public Welfare | $86 | $2,071 |
| Health | $762 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,036 |
| Parks & Recreation | $154 | $1,574 |
| Housing | $350 | $2,788 |
| Sewerage | $27 | $140 |
| Utilities | $41 | $3,523 |
| Other | $2,748 | $7,978 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.