Bakersfield, CA vs Oklahoma City, OK
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Oklahoma City, OK spends 56% more per resident than Bakersfield, CA: $18,074 against $11,576. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Oklahoma City, OK 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 Oklahoma City, OK carries $3,520 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 Oklahoma City, OK at $2,014.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Bakersfield, CA and 19% in Oklahoma City, OK.
Summary
Oklahoma City spends 36.0% more per capita than Bakersfield ($6,498/person difference). Oklahoma City, OK has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $20 | $763 |
| Income Tax | $1,909 | $1,037 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,862 | $6,852 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,024 | $3,256 |
| Other | $1,915 | $1,836 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $513 |
| Public Welfare | $840 | $1,525 |
| Health | $0 | $5 |
| Hospitals | $425 | $2,044 |
| Parks & Recreation | $741 | $2,014 |
| Housing | $3,391 | $2,857 |
| Sewerage | $265 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,679 | $4,523 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $707 |
| Other | $3,234 | $3,886 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.