Bakersfield, CA vs Seattle, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA outspends Bakersfield, CA by a wide margin per resident — $34,463 versus $11,576, a 198% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Seattle, WA edges Bakersfield, CA on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 61/100 (grade C) to 56/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Bakersfield, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Seattle, WA carries $1,100 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 Seattle, WA at $3,923.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Bakersfield, CA and 13% in Seattle, WA.
Summary
Seattle spends 66.4% more per capita than Bakersfield ($22,887/person difference). Seattle, WA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 61/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1 | $1,831 |
| Sales Tax | $20 | $1,094 |
| Income Tax | $1,909 | $3,496 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,862 | $9,846 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,024 | $3,960 |
| Other | $1,915 | $8,544 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $210 |
| Education | $0 | $1,461 |
| Public Welfare | $840 | $3,439 |
| Health | $0 | $1,131 |
| Hospitals | $425 | $1,871 |
| Parks & Recreation | $741 | $3,923 |
| Housing | $3,391 | $3,727 |
| Sewerage | $265 | $952 |
| Utilities | $2,679 | $6,489 |
| Other | $3,234 | $11,260 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.