Virginia Beach, VA vs Raleigh, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Virginia Beach, VA outspends Raleigh, NC by a wide margin per resident — $42,515 versus $13,911, a 206% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Raleigh, NC holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 76/100 (grade B) against 47/100 (grade D) for Virginia Beach, VA — a 29-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Virginia Beach, VA carries the lighter load at $297 per resident versus $906 for Raleigh, NC. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Virginia Beach, VA leads with education at $21,342 per resident, while Raleigh, NC leads with parks and recreation at $1,391.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Virginia Beach, VA and 47% in Raleigh, NC.
Summary
Virginia Beach spends 205.6% more per capita than Raleigh ($28,604/person difference). Raleigh, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 76/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $673 | $858 |
| Income Tax | $831 | $806 |
| Intergovernmental | $31,808 | $14,128 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,462 | $2,681 |
| Other | $3,301 | $4,740 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,126 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $512 | $277 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $448 |
| Education | $21,342 | $6 |
| Public Welfare | $2,071 | $498 |
| Health | $426 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,036 | $669 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,574 | $1,391 |
| Housing | $2,788 | $2,712 |
| Sewerage | $140 | $281 |
| Utilities | $3,523 | $2,469 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,513 |
| Other | $7,978 | $3,646 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.