Bakersfield, CA vs Philadelphia, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends Bakersfield, CA by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $11,576, a 386% 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 45/100 (grade D) for Philadelphia, PA — a 11-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Bakersfield, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Philadelphia, PA carries $1,069 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 Philadelphia, PA leads with fire protection at $7,082.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Bakersfield, CA and 16% in Philadelphia, PA.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 79.4% more per capita than Bakersfield ($44,696/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 | $107 |
| Income Tax | $1,909 | $8 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,862 | $6,288 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,024 | $2,790 |
| Other | $1,915 | $4,029 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,505 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $7,082 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $1,215 |
| Public Welfare | $840 | $1,456 |
| Health | $0 | $229 |
| Hospitals | $425 | $4,048 |
| Parks & Recreation | $741 | $593 |
| Housing | $3,391 | $4,902 |
| Sewerage | $265 | $325 |
| Utilities | $2,679 | $4,222 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $3 |
| Other | $3,234 | $30,692 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.