Virginia Beach, VA vs Albuquerque, NM
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Virginia Beach, VA outspends Albuquerque, NM by a wide margin per resident — $42,515 versus $17,237, a 147% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Albuquerque, NM holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 81/100 (grade A) against 47/100 (grade D) for Virginia Beach, VA — a 34-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Virginia Beach, VA carries the lighter load at $297 per resident versus $613 for Albuquerque, NM. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Virginia Beach, VA leads with education at $21,342 per resident, while Albuquerque, NM leads with parks and recreation at $1,990.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Virginia Beach, VA at 100% of total revenue, whereas Albuquerque, NM relies most on charges and fees at 11%.
Summary
Virginia Beach spends 146.6% more per capita than Albuquerque ($25,278/person difference). Albuquerque, NM has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 81/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $36 |
| Sales Tax | $673 | $355 |
| Income Tax | $831 | $1,580 |
| Intergovernmental | $31,808 | $1,897 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,462 | $2,633 |
| Other | $3,301 | $2,174 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,126 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $512 | $440 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $172 |
| Education | $21,342 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,071 | $419 |
| Health | $426 | $291 |
| Hospitals | $1,036 | $328 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,574 | $1,990 |
| Housing | $2,788 | $4,080 |
| Sewerage | $140 | $0 |
| Utilities | $3,523 | $5,212 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,096 |
| Other | $7,978 | $3,209 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.