Virginia Beach, VA vs Portland, OR
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Virginia Beach, VA outspends Portland, OR by a wide margin per resident — $42,515 versus $23,675, a 80% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Portland, OR holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 63/100 (grade C) against 47/100 (grade D) for Virginia Beach, VA — a 16-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Virginia Beach, VA carries the lighter load at $297 per resident versus $1,574 for Portland, OR. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Virginia Beach, VA leads with education at $21,342 per resident, while Portland, OR leads with parks and recreation at $2,477.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Virginia Beach, VA and 19% in Portland, OR.
Summary
Virginia Beach spends 79.6% more per capita than Portland ($18,840/person difference). Portland, OR has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 63/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $673 | $1,695 |
| Income Tax | $831 | $130 |
| Intergovernmental | $31,808 | $8,979 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,462 | $3,883 |
| Other | $3,301 | $7,916 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,126 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $512 | $1,700 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $139 |
| Education | $21,342 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,071 | $3,607 |
| Health | $426 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,036 | $2,893 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,574 | $2,477 |
| Housing | $2,788 | $3,694 |
| Sewerage | $140 | $630 |
| Utilities | $3,523 | $1,845 |
| Other | $7,978 | $6,689 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.