San Diego, CA vs Bakersfield, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Diego, CA outspends Bakersfield, CA by a wide margin per resident — $43,306 versus $11,576, a 274% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Bakersfield, CA edges San Diego, CA on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 56/100 (grade C) to 53/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: San Diego, CA leads with police at $3,335 per resident, while Bakersfield, CA leads with parks and recreation at $741.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in San Diego, CA at 39% of total revenue, whereas Bakersfield, CA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
San Diego spends 274.1% more per capita than Bakersfield ($31,731/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 | $124 | $1 |
| Sales Tax | $63 | $20 |
| Income Tax | $194 | $1,909 |
| Intergovernmental | $57 | $3,862 |
| Charges & Fees | $14 | $1,024 |
| Other | $3,801 | $1,915 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,335 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,278 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,408 | $0 |
| Education | $2,005 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $700 | $840 |
| Health | $411 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $425 |
| Parks & Recreation | $436 | $741 |
| Housing | $4,476 | $3,391 |
| Sewerage | $43 | $265 |
| Utilities | $11,704 | $2,679 |
| Other | $17,509 | $3,234 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.