Jacksonville, FL vs Bakersfield, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Jacksonville, FL outspends Bakersfield, CA by a wide margin per resident — $31,456 versus $11,576, a 172% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Bakersfield, CA edges Jacksonville, FL on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 56/100 (grade C) to 53/100 (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 Jacksonville, FL carries $2,821 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Jacksonville, FL leads with fire protection at $9,436 per resident, while Bakersfield, CA leads with parks and recreation at $741.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in Jacksonville, FL and 100% in Bakersfield, CA.
Summary
Jacksonville spends 171.7% more per capita than Bakersfield ($19,881/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 | $10 | $1 |
| Sales Tax | $233 | $20 |
| Income Tax | $762 | $1,909 |
| Intergovernmental | $7,348 | $3,862 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,119 | $1,024 |
| Other | $4,705 | $1,915 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $18 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $9,436 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $486 | $840 |
| Health | $332 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $557 | $425 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,329 | $741 |
| Housing | $5,572 | $3,391 |
| Sewerage | $176 | $265 |
| Utilities | $1,835 | $2,679 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,942 | $0 |
| Other | $9,771 | $3,234 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.