Bakersfield, CA vs San Antonio, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Antonio, TX spends 46% more per resident than Bakersfield, CA: $16,943 against $11,576. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
San Antonio, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 68/100 (grade B) against 56/100 (grade C) for Bakersfield, CA — a 12-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Bakersfield, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while San Antonio, TX carries $2,131 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 San Antonio, TX at $1,045.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Bakersfield, CA and 17% in San Antonio, TX.
Summary
San Antonio spends 31.7% more per capita than Bakersfield ($5,367/person difference). San Antonio, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 68/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $20 | $293 |
| Income Tax | $1,909 | $1,000 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,862 | $14,312 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,024 | $4,025 |
| Other | $1,915 | $3,184 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $396 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $158 |
| Education | $0 | $23 |
| Public Welfare | $840 | $1,188 |
| Health | $0 | $293 |
| Hospitals | $425 | $993 |
| Parks & Recreation | $741 | $1,045 |
| Housing | $3,391 | $3,570 |
| Sewerage | $265 | $100 |
| Utilities | $2,679 | $3,826 |
| Other | $3,234 | $5,352 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.