Virginia Beach, VA vs San Francisco, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Francisco, CA outspends Virginia Beach, VA by a wide margin per resident — $184,131 versus $42,515, a 333% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
San Francisco, CA edges Virginia Beach, VA on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 48/100 (grade D) 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.
On debt, Virginia Beach, VA carries the lighter load at $297 per resident versus $2,031 for San Francisco, CA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Virginia Beach, VA leads with education at $21,342 per resident, while San Francisco, CA leads with parks and recreation at $4,119.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Virginia Beach, VA and 7% in San Francisco, CA.
Summary
San Francisco spends 76.9% more per capita than Virginia Beach ($141,616/person difference). San Francisco, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (D, 48/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $148 |
| Sales Tax | $673 | $3,028 |
| Income Tax | $831 | $269 |
| Intergovernmental | $31,808 | $19,762 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,462 | $7,961 |
| Other | $3,301 | $18,918 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,126 | $3,351 |
| Fire Protection | $512 | $2,281 |
| Education | $21,342 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,071 | $2,203 |
| Health | $426 | $1,911 |
| Hospitals | $1,036 | $6,939 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,574 | $4,119 |
| Housing | $2,788 | $9,315 |
| Sewerage | $140 | $1,423 |
| Utilities | $3,523 | $21,190 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $22,798 |
| General Admin | $0 | $14,899 |
| Other | $7,978 | $93,702 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.