Boston, MA vs Bakersfield, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Boston, MA outspends Bakersfield, CA by a wide margin per resident — $72,299 versus $11,576, a 525% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
On the CitySpend Fiscal Health Score the two are level: Boston, MA and Bakersfield, CA both land at 56/100 (grade C and C respectively), so the deciding factors sit in the underlying six-factor breakdown rather than the rolled-up grade.
Bakersfield, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Boston, MA carries $445 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Boston, MA leads with education at $30,742 per resident, while Bakersfield, CA leads with parks and recreation at $741.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 17% of total revenue in Boston, MA and 100% in Bakersfield, CA.
Summary
Boston spends 524.6% more per capita than Bakersfield ($60,723/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $1 |
| Sales Tax | $78 | $20 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,909 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,357 | $3,862 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,784 | $1,024 |
| Other | $4,557 | $1,915 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,107 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $594 | $0 |
| Education | $30,742 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,110 | $840 |
| Health | $725 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $2,584 | $425 |
| Parks & Recreation | $711 | $741 |
| Housing | $6,614 | $3,391 |
| Sewerage | $355 | $265 |
| Utilities | $3,402 | $2,679 |
| General Admin | $5,401 | $0 |
| Other | $18,955 | $3,234 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.