Bakersfield, CA vs Denver, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Denver, CO outspends Bakersfield, CA by a wide margin per resident — $33,582 versus $11,576, a 190% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Bakersfield, CA edges Denver, CO on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 56/100 (grade C) to 51/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Bakersfield, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Denver, CO carries $5,126 per resident. 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 Denver, CO at $3,319.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Bakersfield, CA and 37% in Denver, CO.
Summary
Denver spends 65.5% more per capita than Bakersfield ($22,006/person difference). Bakersfield, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 56/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $20 | $2,070 |
| Income Tax | $1,909 | $236 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,862 | $44,661 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,024 | $5,207 |
| Other | $1,915 | $10,100 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $2,455 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $1,668 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $475 |
| Education | $0 | $821 |
| Public Welfare | $840 | $764 |
| Health | $0 | $693 |
| Hospitals | $425 | $2,855 |
| Parks & Recreation | $741 | $3,319 |
| Housing | $3,391 | $3,565 |
| Sewerage | $265 | $293 |
| Utilities | $2,679 | $4,292 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $7 |
| General Admin | $0 | $364 |
| Other | $3,234 | $12,011 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.