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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Milwaukee, WI

Population: 573,299 (2022) · Large Cities (250K+)

C
62/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$11.1B
Per Capita
$19,417
Total Revenue
$6.3B
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Other
41.3%$4.6B
Police
18.8%$2.1B
Parks & Recreation
11.4%$1.3B
Utilities
9.6%$1.1B
Interest on Debt
8.3%$921.9M
Housing & Community Development
5.5%$614.2M
Fire Protection
4.1%$459.6M
Public Welfare
0.9%$103.3M
Highways & Roads
0.1%$13.2M
Health
0.0%$672K

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Sales Tax
59.4%$3.8B
Income Tax
0.0%$302K
Intergovernmental
11.2%$705.5M
Other
36.1%$2.3B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police$3,642/person
Fire Protection$802/person
Highways & Roads$23/person
Parks & Recreation$2,206/person
Health$1/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)32/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)91/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)1/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Compare Cities

See how Milwaukee stacks up against another city.

vs Madison, WIvs Green Bay, WIvs Kenosha, WI
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Wisconsin

Madison, WI

Pop. 269K

A
Total Spending
$5.9B
Per Capita
$21,859

Green Bay, WI

Pop. 107K

B
Total Spending
$1.6B
Per Capita
$14,610

Kenosha, WI

Pop. 99K

B
Total Spending
$1.9B
Per Capita
$19,120

Racine, WI

Pop. 77K

B
Total Spending
$1.9B
Per Capita
$24,108

Compare Milwaukee With

Madison, WI

Spending: $21,859/person · Grade: A

Green Bay, WI

Spending: $14,610/person · Grade: B

Kenosha, WI

Spending: $19,120/person · Grade: B

Racine, WI

Spending: $24,108/person · Grade: B

Frequently Asked Questions

Milwaukee, WI spends $19,417 per resident, based on total expenditures of $11.1B for a population of 573,299. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (62/100).

Milwaukee, WI has total expenditures of $11.1B and total revenue of $6.3B. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Milwaukee, WI employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Milwaukee, WI has a Fiscal Health Score of C (62/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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