Oklahoma City, OK vs Bakersfield, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Oklahoma City, OK spends 56% more per resident than Bakersfield, CA: $18,074 against $11,576. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Oklahoma City, OK holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 56/100 (grade C) for Bakersfield, CA — 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 Oklahoma City, OK carries $3,520 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Oklahoma City, OK at $2,014 per resident and in Bakersfield, CA at $741.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 19% of total revenue in Oklahoma City, OK and 100% in Bakersfield, CA.
Summary
Oklahoma City spends 56.1% more per capita than Bakersfield ($6,498/person difference). Oklahoma City, OK has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $1 |
| Sales Tax | $763 | $20 |
| Income Tax | $1,037 | $1,909 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,852 | $3,862 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,256 | $1,024 |
| Other | $1,836 | $1,915 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $513 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,525 | $840 |
| Health | $5 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $2,044 | $425 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,014 | $741 |
| Housing | $2,857 | $3,391 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $265 |
| Utilities | $4,523 | $2,679 |
| Interest on Debt | $707 | $0 |
| Other | $3,886 | $3,234 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.