Bakersfield, CA vs Virginia Beach, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Virginia Beach, VA outspends Bakersfield, CA by a wide margin per resident — $42,515 versus $11,576, a 267% 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 47/100 (grade D) for Virginia Beach, VA — 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 Virginia Beach, VA carries $297 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 Virginia Beach, VA leads with education at $21,342.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Bakersfield, CA and 100% in Virginia Beach, VA.
Summary
Virginia Beach spends 72.8% more per capita than Bakersfield ($30,939/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 | $673 |
| Income Tax | $1,909 | $831 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,862 | $31,808 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,024 | $1,462 |
| Other | $1,915 | $3,301 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,126 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $512 |
| Education | $0 | $21,342 |
| Public Welfare | $840 | $2,071 |
| Health | $0 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $425 | $1,036 |
| Parks & Recreation | $741 | $1,574 |
| Housing | $3,391 | $2,788 |
| Sewerage | $265 | $140 |
| Utilities | $2,679 | $3,523 |
| Other | $3,234 | $7,978 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.