Virginia Beach, VA vs Arlington, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Arlington, VA outspends Virginia Beach, VA by a wide margin per resident — $69,233 versus $42,515, a 63% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Arlington, VA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 58/100 (grade C) against 47/100 (grade D) for Virginia Beach, VA — a 11-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Virginia Beach, VA carries the lighter load at $297 per resident versus $499 for Arlington, VA. 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 Arlington, VA at $28,519.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Virginia Beach, VA at 100% of total revenue, whereas Arlington, VA relies most on other revenue at 7%.
Summary
Arlington spends 38.6% more per capita than Virginia Beach ($26,718/person difference). Arlington, VA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 58/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $27 |
| Sales Tax | $673 | $554 |
| Income Tax | $831 | $466 |
| Intergovernmental | $31,808 | $4,733 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,462 | $2,576 |
| Other | $3,301 | $5,381 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,126 | $2,158 |
| Fire Protection | $512 | $694 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $780 |
| Education | $21,342 | $28,519 |
| Public Welfare | $2,071 | $3,283 |
| Health | $426 | $851 |
| Hospitals | $1,036 | $2,783 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,574 | $2,793 |
| Housing | $2,788 | $4,402 |
| Sewerage | $140 | $57 |
| Utilities | $3,523 | $9,221 |
| Other | $7,978 | $13,692 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.