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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Virginia Beach, VA vs Arlington, TX

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Virginia Beach spends 261.2% more per capita than Arlington ($30,746/person difference). Arlington, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Virginia Beach, VA
Pop. 457,900
D
47/100
Budget Balance28
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
Arlington, TX
Pop. 393,469
A
83/100
Budget Balance78
Debt Burden96
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity89
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Virginia Beach
Arlington
Total Spending
$19.5B
$4.6B
Spending / Capita
$42,515
$11,769
Total Revenue
$14.6B
$23.8B
Revenue / Capita
$31,808
$60,454
Total Debt
$135.8M
$233.8M
Debt / Capita
$297
$594
Population
457,900
393,469
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Virginia Beach$1,126
Arlington$0
Fire Protection
Virginia Beach$512
Arlington$160
Highways & Roads
Virginia Beach$0
Arlington$149
Parks & Recreation
Virginia Beach$1,574
Arlington$1,352
Education
Virginia Beach$21,342
Arlington$0
Health
Virginia Beach$426
Arlington$219

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

Virginia BeachArlington
Sales Tax
$673
$507
Income Tax
$831
$73
Intergovernmental
$31,808
$25,062
Charges & Fees
$1,462
$2,949
Other
$3,301
$3,897

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

Virginia BeachArlington
Police
$1,126
$0
Fire Protection
$512
$160
Highways & Roads
$0
$149
Education
$21,342
$0
Public Welfare
$2,071
$826
Health
$426
$219
Hospitals
$1,036
$152
Parks & Recreation
$1,574
$1,352
Housing
$2,788
$2,981
Sewerage
$140
$141
Utilities
$3,523
$1,385
Other
$7,978
$4,404
D
Virginia Beach, VA
Fiscal Health Score: 47/100
Below average fiscal health
A
Arlington, TX
Fiscal Health Score: 83/100
Excellent fiscal health

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