Virginia Beach, VA vs Detroit, MI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Virginia Beach, VA spends 37% more per resident than Detroit, MI: $42,515 against $31,087. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Detroit, MI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 69/100 (grade B) against 47/100 (grade D) for Virginia Beach, VA — a 22-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Virginia Beach, VA carries the lighter load at $297 per resident versus $776 for Detroit, MI. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Virginia Beach, VA leads with education at $21,342 per resident, while Detroit, MI leads with fire protection at $2,429.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Virginia Beach, VA at 100% of total revenue, whereas Detroit, MI relies most on other revenue at 15%.
Summary
Virginia Beach spends 36.8% more per capita than Detroit ($11,428/person difference). Detroit, MI has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 69/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $44 |
| Sales Tax | $673 | $200 |
| Income Tax | $831 | $1,045 |
| Intergovernmental | $31,808 | $291 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,462 | $2,228 |
| Other | $3,301 | $6,892 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,126 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $512 | $2,429 |
| Education | $21,342 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,071 | $833 |
| Health | $426 | $396 |
| Hospitals | $1,036 | $2,217 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,574 | $950 |
| Housing | $2,788 | $5,791 |
| Sewerage | $140 | $451 |
| Utilities | $3,523 | $2,737 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $2,068 |
| Other | $7,978 | $13,216 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.