Wichita, KS vs Bakersfield, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Bakersfield, CA spends 45% more per resident than Wichita, KS: $11,576 against $7,986. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Wichita, KS holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 56/100 (grade C) for Bakersfield, CA — a 34-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Bakersfield, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Wichita, KS carries $132 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Wichita, KS at $874 per resident and in Bakersfield, CA at $741.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in Wichita, KS and 100% in Bakersfield, CA.
Summary
Bakersfield spends 31.0% more per capita than Wichita ($3,590/person difference). Wichita, KS has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $1 |
| Sales Tax | $246 | $20 |
| Income Tax | $57 | $1,909 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,895 | $3,862 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,193 | $1,024 |
| Other | $2,783 | $1,915 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $152 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $126 | $0 |
| Education | $2 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $441 | $840 |
| Health | $254 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $113 | $425 |
| Parks & Recreation | $874 | $741 |
| Housing | $2,618 | $3,391 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $265 |
| Utilities | $1,225 | $2,679 |
| Interest on Debt | $70 | $0 |
| Other | $2,111 | $3,234 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.