Bakersfield, CA vs Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY outspends Bakersfield, CA by a wide margin per resident — $20,200 versus $11,576, a 75% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Bakersfield, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 56/100 (grade C) against 35/100 (grade D) for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY — a 21-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Bakersfield, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY carries $3,553 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 Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY leads with fire protection at $1,132.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Bakersfield, CA at 100% of total revenue, whereas Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY relies most on other revenue at 103%.
Summary
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) spends 42.7% more per capita than Bakersfield ($8,625/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 | $1,138 |
| Income Tax | $1,909 | $24 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,862 | $412 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,024 | $3,823 |
| Other | $1,915 | $8,878 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $701 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $1,132 |
| Education | $0 | $956 |
| Public Welfare | $840 | $1,849 |
| Health | $0 | $379 |
| Hospitals | $425 | $779 |
| Parks & Recreation | $741 | $1,070 |
| Housing | $3,391 | $2,382 |
| Sewerage | $265 | $249 |
| Utilities | $2,679 | $3,844 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,517 |
| Other | $3,234 | $5,344 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.