Virginia Beach, VA vs Atlanta, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Virginia Beach, VA outspends Atlanta, GA by a wide margin per resident — $42,515 versus $25,457, a 67% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Atlanta, GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 85/100 (grade A) against 47/100 (grade D) for Virginia Beach, VA — a 38-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Atlanta, GA 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: Virginia Beach, VA leads with education at $21,342 per resident, while Atlanta, GA leads with parks and recreation at $1,274.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Virginia Beach, VA and 6% in Atlanta, GA.
Summary
Virginia Beach spends 67.0% more per capita than Atlanta ($17,058/person difference). Atlanta, GA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 85/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $419 |
| Sales Tax | $673 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $831 | $1,292 |
| Intergovernmental | $31,808 | $9,121 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,462 | $5,645 |
| Other | $3,301 | $5,461 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,126 | $315 |
| Fire Protection | $512 | $464 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $513 |
| Education | $21,342 | $25 |
| Public Welfare | $2,071 | $1,587 |
| Health | $426 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,036 | $55 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,574 | $1,274 |
| Housing | $2,788 | $4,594 |
| Sewerage | $140 | $343 |
| Utilities | $3,523 | $8,026 |
| Other | $7,978 | $8,262 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.