Appleton, WI vs Waukesha, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Waukesha, WI outspends Appleton, WI by a wide margin per resident — $38,315 versus $15,241, a 151% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Appleton, WI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 87/100 (grade A) against 53/100 (grade C) for Waukesha, WI — a 34-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
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: Appleton, WI leads with health at $684 per resident, while Waukesha, WI leads with police at $2,927.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 15% of total revenue in Appleton, WI and 27% in Waukesha, WI.
Summary
Waukesha spends 60.2% more per capita than Appleton ($23,075/person difference). Appleton, WI has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 87/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1,550 | $1 |
| Sales Tax | $558 | $891 |
| Income Tax | $226 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,693 | $3,249 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,875 | $0 |
| Other | $1,817 | $2,389 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $2,927 |
| Fire Protection | $206 | $856 |
| Highways & Roads | $81 | $1,204 |
| Public Welfare | $2,412 | $1,186 |
| Health | $684 | $523 |
| Hospitals | $75 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $661 | $1,677 |
| Housing | $2,686 | $4,755 |
| Sewerage | $130 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,687 | $6,106 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,257 | $88 |
| Other | $4,363 | $18,994 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.