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

Virginia Beach, VA vs Mesa, AZ

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

Summary

Virginia Beach spends 233.0% more per capita than Mesa ($29,747/person difference). Mesa, AZ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).

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
Mesa, AZ
Pop. 503,390
A
90/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Virginia Beach
Mesa
Total Spending
$19.5B
$6.4B
Spending / Capita
$42,515
$12,768
Total Revenue
$14.6B
$18.0B
Revenue / Capita
$31,808
$35,688
Total Debt
$135.8M
$236.3M
Debt / Capita
$297
$469
Population
457,900
503,390
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Virginia Beach$1,126
Mesa$0
Fire Protection
Virginia Beach$512
Mesa$422
Highways & Roads
Virginia Beach$0
Mesa$192
Parks & Recreation
Virginia Beach$1,574
Mesa$953
Education
Virginia Beach$21,342
Mesa$0
Health
Virginia Beach$426
Mesa$147

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

Virginia BeachMesa
Property Tax
$0
$47
Sales Tax
$673
$463
Income Tax
$831
$1,376
Intergovernmental
$31,808
$1,383
Charges & Fees
$1,462
$3,334
Other
$3,301
$2,253

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

Virginia BeachMesa
Police
$1,126
$0
Fire Protection
$512
$422
Highways & Roads
$0
$192
Education
$21,342
$0
Public Welfare
$2,071
$829
Health
$426
$147
Hospitals
$1,036
$537
Parks & Recreation
$1,574
$953
Housing
$2,788
$4,190
Sewerage
$140
$38
Utilities
$3,523
$2,376
Other
$7,978
$3,082
D
Virginia Beach, VA
Fiscal Health Score: 47/100
Below average fiscal health
A
Mesa, AZ
Fiscal Health Score: 90/100
Excellent fiscal health

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