Virginia Beach, VA vs Seattle, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Virginia Beach, VA spends 23% more per resident than Seattle, WA: $42,515 against $34,463. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Seattle, WA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 61/100 (grade C) against 47/100 (grade D) for Virginia Beach, VA — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Virginia Beach, VA carries the lighter load at $297 per resident versus $1,100 for Seattle, WA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Virginia Beach, VA leads with education at $21,342 per resident, while Seattle, WA leads with parks and recreation at $3,923.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Virginia Beach, VA and 13% in Seattle, WA.
Summary
Virginia Beach spends 23.4% more per capita than Seattle ($8,053/person difference). Seattle, WA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 61/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $1,831 |
| Sales Tax | $673 | $1,094 |
| Income Tax | $831 | $3,496 |
| Intergovernmental | $31,808 | $9,846 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,462 | $3,960 |
| Other | $3,301 | $8,544 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,126 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $512 | $210 |
| Education | $21,342 | $1,461 |
| Public Welfare | $2,071 | $3,439 |
| Health | $426 | $1,131 |
| Hospitals | $1,036 | $1,871 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,574 | $3,923 |
| Housing | $2,788 | $3,727 |
| Sewerage | $140 | $952 |
| Utilities | $3,523 | $6,489 |
| Other | $7,978 | $11,260 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.