Virginia Beach, VA vs Baltimore, MD
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Baltimore, MD spends 60% more per resident than Virginia Beach, VA: $67,935 against $42,515. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Baltimore, MD holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 70/100 (grade B) against 47/100 (grade D) for Virginia Beach, VA — a 23-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Baltimore, MD 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 Baltimore, MD at $35,510.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Virginia Beach, VA and 7% in Baltimore, MD.
Summary
Baltimore spends 37.4% more per capita than Virginia Beach ($25,420/person difference). Baltimore, MD has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $84 |
| Sales Tax | $673 | $55 |
| Income Tax | $831 | $375 |
| Intergovernmental | $31,808 | $5,085 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,462 | $2,192 |
| Other | $3,301 | $4,765 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,126 | $820 |
| Fire Protection | $512 | $1,214 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $676 |
| Education | $21,342 | $35,510 |
| Public Welfare | $2,071 | $714 |
| Health | $426 | $757 |
| Hospitals | $1,036 | $1,877 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,574 | $384 |
| Housing | $2,788 | $4,087 |
| Sewerage | $140 | $87 |
| Utilities | $3,523 | $3,809 |
| General Admin | $0 | $19 |
| Other | $7,978 | $17,981 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.