Bakersfield, CA vs Wichita, KS
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Bakersfield, CA spends 45% more per resident than Wichita, KS: $11,576 against $7,986. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Wichita, KS holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 56/100 (grade C) for Bakersfield, CA — a 34-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Bakersfield, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Wichita, KS carries $132 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 Wichita, KS at $874.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Bakersfield, CA and 14% in Wichita, KS.
Summary
Bakersfield spends 45.0% more per capita than Wichita ($3,590/person difference). Wichita, KS has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $20 | $246 |
| Income Tax | $1,909 | $57 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,862 | $3,895 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,024 | $3,193 |
| Other | $1,915 | $2,783 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $152 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $126 |
| Education | $0 | $2 |
| Public Welfare | $840 | $441 |
| Health | $0 | $254 |
| Hospitals | $425 | $113 |
| Parks & Recreation | $741 | $874 |
| Housing | $3,391 | $2,618 |
| Sewerage | $265 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,679 | $1,225 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $70 |
| Other | $3,234 | $2,111 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.