Bakersfield, CA vs El Paso, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
El Paso, TX outspends Bakersfield, CA by a wide margin per resident — $24,259 versus $11,576, a 110% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
El Paso, TX edges Bakersfield, CA on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 61/100 (grade C) to 56/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Bakersfield, CA leads with parks and recreation at $741 per resident, while El Paso, TX leads with police at $1,159.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Bakersfield, CA and 10% in El Paso, TX.
Summary
El Paso spends 52.3% more per capita than Bakersfield ($12,683/person difference). El Paso, TX 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 | $1 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $20 | $65 |
| Income Tax | $1,909 | $12 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,862 | $690 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,024 | $31 |
| Other | $1,915 | $550 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,159 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $233 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $83 |
| Public Welfare | $840 | $299 |
| Hospitals | $425 | $11 |
| Parks & Recreation | $741 | $151 |
| Housing | $3,391 | $958 |
| Sewerage | $265 | $6 |
| Utilities | $2,679 | $224 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $40 |
| General Admin | $0 | $17,951 |
| Other | $3,234 | $3,145 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.