Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0Bakersfield spent less per resident in 2022 than 76% of similar cities
Bakersfield’s city government spent $485.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,183 per resident. Water and other utilities ($40.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Bakersfield is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,118 per resident in 2022: less than 76% of them
Bakersfield’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,118 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 74 California cities of 250,000–499,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,404, and the middle half spent $1,125–$2,136. Bakersfield spent less than 76% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($78.6 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
California cities of 250,000–499,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bakersfield itself left out).
About $1,183 per resident a year, or $3.24 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 13% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Bakersfield reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,118 · 2023: $1,103 · 2024: $1,183. Per resident it went from $1,118 to $1,183 (up 6%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 385,725 to 410,647.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,434 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,619 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.97% of the home’s value, vs 0.70% across California.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bakersfield’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Bakersfield’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bakersfield →
Who’s in charge in Bakersfield
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bakersfield’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on visitbakersfield.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 252 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (410,647).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Kern High School District
Bakersfield’s high school district, shared with Arvin, Shafter. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,073 per pupil, $9,253 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
California districts overall: 36% local, 52% state, 11% federal.
Bakersfield City School District · $20,798 per pupil
Panama-Buena Vista School District · $17,448 per pupil
Rosedale Union Elementary School District · $14,308 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Bakersfield’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bakersfield alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Kern County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican59.2%167,414 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat38.2%108,047 votesOthers: 2.5% (7,118 votes).
Most votes in Kern County: Donald J Trump
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Bakersfield lies in Kern County. Every 2024 race in Kern County is on the county’s page.
Kern County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Bakersfield.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: visitbakersfield.com ↗
- 2California AssemblyBakersfield is split between 2 districts
- 3California SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of California
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Bakersfield compares with the towns next door
No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses California cities of 250,000–499,999 that don’t run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield | $1,118 | $3,619 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Bakersfield’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bakersfield’s government
How much does Bakersfield spend per resident?
About $1,183 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,118 was less than 76% of 74 California cities of 250,000–499,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bakersfield?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,619 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.97% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see visitbakersfield.com.
Who runs Bakersfield’s government?
See visitbakersfield.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bakersfield yet.
How did Bakersfield vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bakersfield alone. Kern County, where 100% of Bakersfield lies, voted Trump 59.2%, Harris 38.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bakersfield?
1,631 full-time and 119 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $16.1M (about $193.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bakersfield in the state legislature?
Bakersfield is split among 2 Assembly districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The California Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bakersfield’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →