Bakersfield, CA vs Phoenix, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Phoenix, AZ spends 36% more per resident than Bakersfield, CA: $15,793 against $11,576. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Phoenix, AZ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 67/100 (grade B) against 56/100 (grade C) for Bakersfield, CA — 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 Phoenix, AZ carries $1,156 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 Phoenix, AZ at $652.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Bakersfield, CA and 100% in Phoenix, AZ.
Summary
Phoenix spends 26.7% more per capita than Bakersfield ($4,217/person difference). Phoenix, AZ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 67/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1 | $7 |
| Sales Tax | $20 | $338 |
| Income Tax | $1,909 | $1,260 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,862 | $50,709 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,024 | $2,998 |
| Other | $1,915 | $2,038 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $170 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $86 |
| Education | $0 | $214 |
| Public Welfare | $840 | $507 |
| Health | $0 | $258 |
| Hospitals | $425 | $1,521 |
| Parks & Recreation | $741 | $652 |
| Housing | $3,391 | $3,879 |
| Sewerage | $265 | $388 |
| Utilities | $2,679 | $2,480 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,760 |
| Other | $3,234 | $3,878 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.