Fresno, CA vs Bakersfield, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fresno, CA outspends Bakersfield, CA by a wide margin per resident — $43,387 versus $11,576, a 275% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Bakersfield, CA edges Fresno, CA on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 56/100 (grade C) to 50/100 (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: Fresno, CA leads with education at $3,942 per resident, while Bakersfield, CA leads with parks and recreation at $741.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Fresno, CA at 19% of total revenue, whereas Bakersfield, CA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Fresno spends 274.8% more per capita than Bakersfield ($31,811/person difference). Bakersfield, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 56/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $337 | $1 |
| Sales Tax | $19 | $20 |
| Income Tax | $501 | $1,909 |
| Intergovernmental | -$4,470 | $3,862 |
| Charges & Fees | $11 | $1,024 |
| Other | $2,070 | $1,915 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,261 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $568 | $0 |
| Education | $3,942 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,946 | $840 |
| Health | $599 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $425 |
| Parks & Recreation | $76 | $741 |
| Housing | $2,856 | $3,391 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $265 |
| Utilities | $15,340 | $2,679 |
| Interest on Debt | $255 | $0 |
| Other | $14,545 | $3,234 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.