Virginia Beach, VA vs Alexandria, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Alexandria, VA spends 36% more per resident than Virginia Beach, VA: $57,994 against $42,515. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Alexandria, VA edges Virginia Beach, VA on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 53/100 (grade C) to 47/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Alexandria, VA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Virginia Beach, VA carries $297 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Virginia Beach, VA at $21,342 per resident and in Alexandria, VA at $22,295.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Virginia Beach, VA and 120% in Alexandria, VA.
Summary
Alexandria spends 26.7% more per capita than Virginia Beach ($15,479/person difference). Alexandria, VA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 53/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $38 |
| Sales Tax | $673 | $729 |
| Income Tax | $831 | $603 |
| Intergovernmental | $31,808 | $15,384 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,462 | $0 |
| Other | $3,301 | $6,522 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,126 | $1,312 |
| Fire Protection | $512 | $848 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $675 |
| Education | $21,342 | $22,295 |
| Public Welfare | $2,071 | $1,976 |
| Health | $426 | $541 |
| Hospitals | $1,036 | $3,274 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,574 | $2,244 |
| Housing | $2,788 | $4,894 |
| Sewerage | $140 | $615 |
| Utilities | $3,523 | $4,795 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,752 |
| Other | $7,978 | $12,773 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.