Chicago, IL vs Milwaukee, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL outspends Milwaukee, WI by a wide margin per resident — $34,551 versus $19,417, a 78% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Milwaukee, WI edges Chicago, IL on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 62/100 (grade C) to 61/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Milwaukee, WI reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Chicago, IL carries $977 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754 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 Chicago, IL at 100% of total revenue, whereas Milwaukee, WI relies most on sales tax at 59%.
Summary
Chicago spends 77.9% more per capita than Milwaukee ($15,134/person difference). Milwaukee, WI has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 62/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $26 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $74 | $6,548 |
| Income Tax | $229 | $1 |
| Intergovernmental | $85,083 | $1,231 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,847 | $0 |
| Other | $3,463 | $3,984 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $3,642 |
| Fire Protection | $10,754 | $802 |
| Highways & Roads | $930 | $23 |
| Public Welfare | $1,858 | $180 |
| Health | $426 | $1 |
| Hospitals | $1,444 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $122 | $2,206 |
| Housing | $6,520 | $1,071 |
| Sewerage | $129 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,983 | $1,866 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,608 |
| Other | $9,385 | $8,018 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.