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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Bakersfield, CA

Population: 404,321 (2022) · Large Cities (250K+)

C
56/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$4.7B
Per Capita
$11,576
Total Revenue
$1.6B
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Housing & Community Development
29.3%$1.4B
Other
27.9%$1.3B
Utilities
23.1%$1.1B
Public Welfare
7.3%$339.6M
Parks & Recreation
6.4%$299.4M
Hospitals
3.7%$172.0M
Sewerage
2.3%$107.2M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Property Tax
0.0%$362K
Sales Tax
0.5%$8.2M
Income Tax
49.4%$771.9M
Intergovernmental
100.0%$1.6B
Charges & Fees
26.5%$414.1M
Other
49.6%$774.4M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Parks & Recreation$741/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)2/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)100/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)0/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Compare Cities

See how Bakersfield stacks up against another city.

vs Los Angeles, CAvs San Diego, CAvs San Jose, CA
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in California

Los Angeles, CA

Pop. 3.9M

D
Total Spending
$331.6B
Per Capita
$85,432

San Diego, CA

Pop. 1.4M

C
Total Spending
$59.9B
Per Capita
$43,306

San Jose, CA

Pop. 1.0M

A
Total Spending
$18.0B
Per Capita
$17,934

San Francisco, CA

Pop. 851K

D
Total Spending
$156.7B
Per Capita
$184,131

Compare Bakersfield With

Los Angeles, CA

Spending: $85,432/person · Grade: D

San Diego, CA

Spending: $43,306/person · Grade: C

San Jose, CA

Spending: $17,934/person · Grade: A

San Francisco, CA

Spending: $184,131/person · Grade: D

Frequently Asked Questions

Bakersfield, CA spends $11,576 per resident, based on total expenditures of $4.7B for a population of 404,321. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (56/100).

Bakersfield, CA has total expenditures of $4.7B and total revenue of $1.6B. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Bakersfield, CA employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Bakersfield, CA has a Fiscal Health Score of C (56/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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