Phoenix, AZ vs Bakersfield, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Phoenix, AZ spends 36% more per resident than Bakersfield, CA: $15,793 against $11,576. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Phoenix, AZ 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.
Bakersfield, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Phoenix, AZ carries $1,156 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Phoenix, AZ at $652 per resident and in Bakersfield, CA at $741.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Phoenix, AZ and 100% in Bakersfield, CA.
Summary
Phoenix spends 36.4% more per capita than Bakersfield ($4,217/person difference). Phoenix, AZ 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 | $7 | $1 |
| Sales Tax | $338 | $20 |
| Income Tax | $1,260 | $1,909 |
| Intergovernmental | $50,709 | $3,862 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,998 | $1,024 |
| Other | $2,038 | $1,915 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $170 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $86 | $0 |
| Education | $214 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $507 | $840 |
| Health | $258 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,521 | $425 |
| Parks & Recreation | $652 | $741 |
| Housing | $3,879 | $3,391 |
| Sewerage | $388 | $265 |
| Utilities | $2,480 | $2,679 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,760 | $0 |
| Other | $3,878 | $3,234 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.