Bakersfield, CA vs Jacksonville, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Jacksonville, FL outspends Bakersfield, CA by a wide margin per resident — $31,456 versus $11,576, a 172% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Bakersfield, CA edges Jacksonville, FL on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 56/100 (grade C) to 53/100 (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 Jacksonville, FL carries $2,821 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Bakersfield, CA leads with parks and recreation at $741 per resident, while Jacksonville, FL leads with fire protection at $9,436.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Bakersfield, CA and 14% in Jacksonville, FL.
Summary
Jacksonville spends 63.2% more per capita than Bakersfield ($19,881/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 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $20 | $233 |
| Income Tax | $1,909 | $762 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,862 | $7,348 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,024 | $2,119 |
| Other | $1,915 | $4,705 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $18 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $9,436 |
| Public Welfare | $840 | $486 |
| Health | $0 | $332 |
| Hospitals | $425 | $557 |
| Parks & Recreation | $741 | $1,329 |
| Housing | $3,391 | $5,572 |
| Sewerage | $265 | $176 |
| Utilities | $2,679 | $1,835 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,942 |
| Other | $3,234 | $9,771 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.