Portland, OR vs Bakersfield, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Portland, OR outspends Bakersfield, CA by a wide margin per resident — $23,675 versus $11,576, a 105% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Portland, OR edges Bakersfield, CA on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 63/100 (grade C) to 56/100 (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 Portland, OR carries $1,574 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Portland, OR at $2,477 per resident and in Bakersfield, CA at $741.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 19% of total revenue in Portland, OR and 100% in Bakersfield, CA.
Summary
Portland spends 104.5% more per capita than Bakersfield ($12,099/person difference). Portland, OR has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 63/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $1 |
| Sales Tax | $1,695 | $20 |
| Income Tax | $130 | $1,909 |
| Intergovernmental | $8,979 | $3,862 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,883 | $1,024 |
| Other | $7,916 | $1,915 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,700 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $139 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $3,607 | $840 |
| Hospitals | $2,893 | $425 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,477 | $741 |
| Housing | $3,694 | $3,391 |
| Sewerage | $630 | $265 |
| Utilities | $1,845 | $2,679 |
| Other | $6,689 | $3,234 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.