Baltimore, MD vs Bakersfield, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Baltimore, MD outspends Bakersfield, CA by a wide margin per resident — $67,935 versus $11,576, a 487% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Baltimore, MD holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 70/100 (grade B) against 56/100 (grade C) for Bakersfield, CA — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Baltimore, MD leads with education at $35,510 per resident, while Bakersfield, CA leads with parks and recreation at $741.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 7% of total revenue in Baltimore, MD and 100% in Bakersfield, CA.
Summary
Baltimore spends 486.9% more per capita than Bakersfield ($56,359/person difference). Baltimore, MD has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $84 | $1 |
| Sales Tax | $55 | $20 |
| Income Tax | $375 | $1,909 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,085 | $3,862 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,192 | $1,024 |
| Other | $4,765 | $1,915 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $820 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,214 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $676 | $0 |
| Education | $35,510 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $714 | $840 |
| Health | $757 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,877 | $425 |
| Parks & Recreation | $384 | $741 |
| Housing | $4,087 | $3,391 |
| Sewerage | $87 | $265 |
| Utilities | $3,809 | $2,679 |
| General Admin | $19 | $0 |
| Other | $17,981 | $3,234 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.