Virginia Beach, VA vs Norfolk, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Norfolk, VA spends 20% more per resident than Virginia Beach, VA: $50,880 against $42,515. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Virginia Beach, VA edges Norfolk, VA on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 47/100 (grade D) to 46/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Virginia Beach, VA carries the lighter load at $297 per resident versus $1,370 for Norfolk, 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 Norfolk, VA at $19,019.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Virginia Beach, VA and 7% in Norfolk, VA.
Summary
Norfolk spends 16.4% more per capita than Virginia Beach ($8,364/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)
| Property Tax | $0 | $97 |
| Sales Tax | $673 | $1,289 |
| Income Tax | $831 | $896 |
| Intergovernmental | $31,808 | $4,946 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,462 | $4,679 |
| Other | $3,301 | $3,596 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,126 | $1,718 |
| Fire Protection | $512 | $832 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $1,186 |
| Education | $21,342 | $19,019 |
| Public Welfare | $2,071 | $1,311 |
| Health | $426 | $519 |
| Hospitals | $1,036 | $5,390 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,574 | $1,601 |
| Housing | $2,788 | $3,939 |
| Sewerage | $140 | $96 |
| Utilities | $3,523 | $5,495 |
| Other | $7,978 | $9,773 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.