Dallas, TX vs Bakersfield, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dallas, TX outspends Bakersfield, CA by a wide margin per resident — $34,849 versus $11,576, a 201% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Dallas, TX edges Bakersfield, CA on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 57/100 (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.
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: Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519 per resident, while Bakersfield, CA leads with parks and recreation at $741.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 22% of total revenue in Dallas, TX and 100% in Bakersfield, CA.
Summary
Dallas spends 201.1% more per capita than Bakersfield ($23,273/person difference). Dallas, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 57/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $9 | $1 |
| Sales Tax | $25 | $20 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,909 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,223 | $3,862 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,024 |
| Other | $584 | $1,915 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $305 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $201 | $0 |
| Education | $62 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $215 | $840 |
| Hospitals | $385 | $425 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $741 |
| Housing | $444 | $3,391 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $265 |
| Utilities | $833 | $2,679 |
| General Admin | $25,827 | $0 |
| Other | $5,059 | $3,234 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.