Austin, TX vs Milwaukee, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Austin, TX and Milwaukee, WI spend within 12.1% of each other per resident — $21,772 versus $19,417 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Austin, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 62/100 (grade C) for Milwaukee, WI — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Milwaukee, WI reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Austin, TX carries $1,229 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Austin, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,801 per resident, while Milwaukee, WI leads with police at $3,642.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Austin, TX at 18% of total revenue, whereas Milwaukee, WI relies most on sales tax at 59%.
Summary
Austin spends 12.1% more per capita than Milwaukee ($2,355/person difference). Austin, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $526 | $6,548 |
| Income Tax | $1,465 | $1 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,031 | $1,231 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,247 | $0 |
| Other | $5,645 | $3,984 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $3,642 |
| Fire Protection | $634 | $802 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $23 |
| Education | $51 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,837 | $180 |
| Health | $517 | $1 |
| Hospitals | $664 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,801 | $2,206 |
| Housing | $3,741 | $1,071 |
| Sewerage | $865 | $0 |
| Utilities | $3,264 | $1,866 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,608 |
| Other | $8,399 | $8,018 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.