Virginia Beach, VA vs Newport News, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Newport News, VA spends 34% more per resident than Virginia Beach, VA: $56,948 against $42,515. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Virginia Beach, VA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 47/100 (grade D) against 32/100 (grade F) for Newport News, VA — a 15-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Virginia Beach, VA carries the lighter load at $297 per resident versus $2,213 for Newport News, VA. 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 Newport News, VA at $23,175.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Virginia Beach, VA at 100% of total revenue, whereas Newport News, VA relies most on charges and fees at 17%.
Summary
Newport News spends 25.3% more per capita than Virginia Beach ($14,433/person difference). Virginia Beach, VA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (D, 47/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $673 | $382 |
| Income Tax | $831 | $820 |
| Intergovernmental | $31,808 | $899 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,462 | $5,701 |
| Other | $3,301 | $4,722 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,126 | $1,848 |
| Fire Protection | $512 | $658 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $702 |
| Education | $21,342 | $23,175 |
| Public Welfare | $2,071 | $1,145 |
| Health | $426 | $377 |
| Hospitals | $1,036 | $2,755 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,574 | $2,102 |
| Housing | $2,788 | $4,827 |
| Sewerage | $140 | $219 |
| Utilities | $3,523 | $7,332 |
| Other | $7,978 | $11,810 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.