Bakersfield, CA vs Washington, DC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Bakersfield, CA by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $11,576, a 2002% 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 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 15-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Bakersfield, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Washington, DC carries $2,516 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 Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Bakersfield, CA and 7% in Washington, DC.
Summary
Washington spends 95.2% more per capita than Bakersfield ($231,765/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 | $25 |
| Sales Tax | $20 | $991 |
| Income Tax | $1,909 | $141 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,862 | $18,754 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,024 | $4,070 |
| Other | $1,915 | $11,518 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $4,183 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $4,262 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $1,435 |
| Education | $0 | $53,224 |
| Public Welfare | $840 | $2,498 |
| Health | $0 | $1,009 |
| Hospitals | $425 | $17,668 |
| Parks & Recreation | $741 | $5,459 |
| Housing | $3,391 | $10,296 |
| Sewerage | $265 | $2,881 |
| Utilities | $2,679 | $88,990 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $58 |
| General Admin | $0 | $3,225 |
| Other | $3,234 | $48,155 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.