Virginia Beach, VA vs San Diego, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Diego, CA and Virginia Beach, VA spend within 1.9% of each other per resident — $43,306 versus $42,515 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
San Diego, CA edges Virginia Beach, VA on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 53/100 (grade C) to 47/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
San Diego, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Virginia Beach, VA carries $297 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Virginia Beach, VA leads with education at $21,342 per resident, while San Diego, CA leads with police at $3,335.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Virginia Beach, VA at 100% of total revenue, whereas San Diego, CA relies most on other revenue at 39%.
Summary
San Diego spends 1.8% more per capita than Virginia Beach ($791/person difference). San Diego, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 53/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $124 |
| Sales Tax | $673 | $63 |
| Income Tax | $831 | $194 |
| Intergovernmental | $31,808 | $57 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,462 | $14 |
| Other | $3,301 | $3,801 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,126 | $3,335 |
| Fire Protection | $512 | $1,278 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $1,408 |
| Education | $21,342 | $2,005 |
| Public Welfare | $2,071 | $700 |
| Health | $426 | $411 |
| Hospitals | $1,036 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,574 | $436 |
| Housing | $2,788 | $4,476 |
| Sewerage | $140 | $43 |
| Utilities | $3,523 | $11,704 |
| Other | $7,978 | $17,509 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.