Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN vs Bakersfield, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN outspends Bakersfield, CA by a wide margin per resident — $48,948 versus $11,576, a 323% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Bakersfield, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 56/100 (grade C) against 47/100 (grade D) for Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Bakersfield, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN carries $2,292 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN leads with education at $21,061 per resident, while Bakersfield, CA leads with parks and recreation at $741.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 10% of total revenue in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN and 100% in Bakersfield, CA.
Summary
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) spends 322.8% more per capita than Bakersfield ($37,372/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 | $0 | $1 |
| Sales Tax | $373 | $20 |
| Income Tax | $135 | $1,909 |
| Intergovernmental | $13,787 | $3,862 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,444 | $1,024 |
| Other | $4,617 | $1,915 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $468 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $11 | $0 |
| Education | $21,061 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $738 | $840 |
| Health | $672 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $2,100 | $425 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,015 | $741 |
| Housing | $4,231 | $3,391 |
| Sewerage | $217 | $265 |
| Utilities | $3,140 | $2,679 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,667 | $0 |
| General Admin | $2,081 | $0 |
| Other | $10,028 | $3,234 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.