Charlotte, NC vs Bakersfield, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Charlotte, NC spends 37% more per resident than Bakersfield, CA: $15,854 against $11,576. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Charlotte, NC edges Bakersfield, CA on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 63/100 (grade C) to 56/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Bakersfield, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Charlotte, NC carries $2,690 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Charlotte, NC at $1,571 per resident and in Bakersfield, CA at $741.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Charlotte, NC at 10% of total revenue, whereas Bakersfield, CA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Charlotte spends 37.0% more per capita than Bakersfield ($4,278/person difference). Charlotte, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 63/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $1 |
| Sales Tax | $541 | $20 |
| Income Tax | $366 | $1,909 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,859 | $3,862 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,459 | $1,024 |
| Other | $4,866 | $1,915 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $463 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $41 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $672 | $840 |
| Hospitals | $1,243 | $425 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,571 | $741 |
| Housing | $3,944 | $3,391 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $265 |
| Utilities | $2,244 | $2,679 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,226 | $0 |
| Other | $3,448 | $3,234 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.