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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Bakersfield, CA vs Minneapolis, MN

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Minneapolis, MN outspends Bakersfield, CA by a wide margin per resident — $21,910 versus $11,576, a 89% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Minneapolis, MN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 56/100 (grade C) for Bakersfield, CA — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

Bakersfield, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Minneapolis, MN carries $644 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 Minneapolis, MN at $3,486.

They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Bakersfield, CA at 100% of total revenue, whereas Minneapolis, MN relies most on other revenue at 17%.

Summary

Minneapolis spends 47.2% more per capita than Bakersfield ($10,334/person difference). Minneapolis, MN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Bakersfield, CA
Pop. 404,321
C
56/100
Budget Balance2
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
Minneapolis, MN
Pop. 426,877
B
65/100
Budget Balance17
Debt Burden91
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency80
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Bakersfield
Minneapolis
Total Spending
$4.7B
$9.4B
Spending / Capita
$11,576
$21,910
Total Revenue
$1.6B
$8.2B
Revenue / Capita
$3,862
$19,159
Total Debt
$0
$274.8M
Debt / Capita
$0
$644
Population
404,321
426,877
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Bakersfield$0
Minneapolis$683
Highways & Roads
Bakersfield$0
Minneapolis$221
Parks & Recreation
Bakersfield$741
Minneapolis$3,486

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

BakersfieldMinneapolis
Property Tax
$1
$0
Sales Tax
$20
$1,989
Income Tax
$1,909
$994
Intergovernmental
$3,862
$2,929
Charges & Fees
$1,024
$2,040
Other
$1,915
$3,254

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

BakersfieldMinneapolis
Fire Protection
$0
$683
Highways & Roads
$0
$221
Public Welfare
$840
$1,500
Hospitals
$425
$0
Parks & Recreation
$741
$3,486
Housing
$3,391
$4,133
Sewerage
$265
$570
Utilities
$2,679
$2,398
Other
$3,234
$8,919
C
Bakersfield, CA
Fiscal Health Score: 56/100
Average fiscal health
B
Minneapolis, MN
Fiscal Health Score: 65/100
Good fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.