Bakersfield, CA vs Atlanta, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Atlanta, GA outspends Bakersfield, CA by a wide margin per resident — $25,457 versus $11,576, a 120% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Atlanta, GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 85/100 (grade A) against 56/100 (grade C) for Bakersfield, CA — a 29-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Bakersfield, CA at $741 per resident and in Atlanta, GA at $1,274.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Bakersfield, CA and 6% in Atlanta, GA.
Summary
Atlanta spends 54.5% more per capita than Bakersfield ($13,881/person difference). Atlanta, GA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 85/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1 | $419 |
| Sales Tax | $20 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $1,909 | $1,292 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,862 | $9,121 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,024 | $5,645 |
| Other | $1,915 | $5,461 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $315 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $464 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $513 |
| Education | $0 | $25 |
| Public Welfare | $840 | $1,587 |
| Hospitals | $425 | $55 |
| Parks & Recreation | $741 | $1,274 |
| Housing | $3,391 | $4,594 |
| Sewerage | $265 | $343 |
| Utilities | $2,679 | $8,026 |
| Other | $3,234 | $8,262 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.