Long Beach, CA vs Bakersfield, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Long Beach, CA outspends Bakersfield, CA by a wide margin per resident — $34,250 versus $11,576, a 196% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Long Beach, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 67/100 (grade B) against 56/100 (grade C) for Bakersfield, CA — a 11-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Long Beach, CA at $698 per resident and in Bakersfield, CA at $741.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Long Beach, CA at 12% of total revenue, whereas Bakersfield, CA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Long Beach spends 195.9% more per capita than Bakersfield ($22,674/person difference). Long Beach, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 67/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $1 |
| Sales Tax | $36 | $20 |
| Income Tax | $1,760 | $1,909 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,688 | $3,862 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,424 | $1,024 |
| Other | $8,836 | $1,915 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Public Welfare | $1,317 | $840 |
| Health | $477 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $2,751 | $425 |
| Parks & Recreation | $698 | $741 |
| Housing | $5,782 | $3,391 |
| Sewerage | $86 | $265 |
| Utilities | $3,889 | $2,679 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,718 | $0 |
| Other | $16,533 | $3,234 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.