Virginia Beach, VA vs Oklahoma City, OK
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Virginia Beach, VA outspends Oklahoma City, OK by a wide margin per resident — $42,515 versus $18,074, a 135% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Oklahoma City, OK holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 47/100 (grade D) for Virginia Beach, VA — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Virginia Beach, VA carries the lighter load at $297 per resident versus $3,520 for Oklahoma City, OK. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Virginia Beach, VA leads with education at $21,342 per resident, while Oklahoma City, OK leads with parks and recreation at $2,014.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Virginia Beach, VA and 19% in Oklahoma City, OK.
Summary
Virginia Beach spends 135.2% more per capita than Oklahoma City ($24,442/person difference). Oklahoma City, OK has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $673 | $763 |
| Income Tax | $831 | $1,037 |
| Intergovernmental | $31,808 | $6,852 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,462 | $3,256 |
| Other | $3,301 | $1,836 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,126 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $512 | $513 |
| Education | $21,342 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,071 | $1,525 |
| Health | $426 | $5 |
| Hospitals | $1,036 | $2,044 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,574 | $2,014 |
| Housing | $2,788 | $2,857 |
| Sewerage | $140 | $0 |
| Utilities | $3,523 | $4,523 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $707 |
| Other | $7,978 | $3,886 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.