Virginia Beach, VA vs New York, NY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends Virginia Beach, VA by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $42,515, a 204% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
New York, NY holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 64/100 (grade C) against 47/100 (grade D) for Virginia Beach, VA — a 17-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Virginia Beach, VA carries the lighter load at $297 per resident versus $462 for New York, NY. 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 New York, NY at $37,892.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Virginia Beach, VA and 14% in New York, NY.
Summary
New York spends 67.1% more per capita than Virginia Beach ($86,604/person difference). New York, NY has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 64/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $673 | $399 |
| Income Tax | $831 | $19 |
| Intergovernmental | $31,808 | $20,520 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,462 | $1,835 |
| Other | $3,301 | $3,593 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,126 | $1,512 |
| Fire Protection | $512 | $11,050 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $221 |
| Education | $21,342 | $37,892 |
| Public Welfare | $2,071 | $1,116 |
| Health | $426 | $417 |
| Hospitals | $1,036 | $6,467 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,574 | $868 |
| Housing | $2,788 | $7,137 |
| Sewerage | $140 | $315 |
| Utilities | $3,523 | $13,371 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $11,706 |
| General Admin | $0 | $11,668 |
| Other | $7,978 | $25,380 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.