Bakersfield, CA vs Kansas City, MO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Kansas City, MO outspends Bakersfield, CA by a wide margin per resident — $22,820 versus $11,576, a 97% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Bakersfield, CA edges Kansas City, MO on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 56/100 (grade C) to 52/100 (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. 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 Kansas City, MO at $1,309.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Bakersfield, CA at 100% of total revenue, whereas Kansas City, MO relies most on other revenue at 835%.
Summary
Kansas City spends 49.3% more per capita than Bakersfield ($11,244/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 | $623 |
| Income Tax | $1,909 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,862 | $7 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,024 | $3,794 |
| Other | $1,915 | $11,150 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $119 |
| Public Welfare | $840 | $3,018 |
| Hospitals | $425 | $1,849 |
| Parks & Recreation | $741 | $1,309 |
| Housing | $3,391 | $4,681 |
| Sewerage | $265 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,679 | $3,123 |
| Other | $3,234 | $8,721 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.