Bakersfield, CA vs New York, NY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends Bakersfield, CA by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $11,576, a 1015% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
New York, NY holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 64/100 (grade C) against 56/100 (grade C) for Bakersfield, CA — a 8-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Bakersfield, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while New York, NY carries $462 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 New York, NY leads with education at $37,892.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Bakersfield, CA and 14% in New York, NY.
Summary
New York spends 91.0% more per capita than Bakersfield ($117,544/person difference). New York, NY has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 64/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $20 | $399 |
| Income Tax | $1,909 | $19 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,862 | $20,520 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,024 | $1,835 |
| Other | $1,915 | $3,593 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,512 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $11,050 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $221 |
| Education | $0 | $37,892 |
| Public Welfare | $840 | $1,116 |
| Health | $0 | $417 |
| Hospitals | $425 | $6,467 |
| Parks & Recreation | $741 | $868 |
| Housing | $3,391 | $7,137 |
| Sewerage | $265 | $315 |
| Utilities | $2,679 | $13,371 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $11,706 |
| General Admin | $0 | $11,668 |
| Other | $3,234 | $25,380 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.