Eau Claire, WI vs Oshkosh, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Eau Claire, WI and Oshkosh, WI spend within 9.2% of each other per resident — $15,744 versus $14,411 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Oshkosh, WI edges Eau Claire, WI on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 88/100 (grade A) to 87/100 (grade A). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Eau Claire, WI at $1,259 per resident and in Oshkosh, WI at $1,346.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 27% of total revenue in Eau Claire, WI and 17% in Oshkosh, WI.
Summary
Eau Claire spends 9.2% more per capita than Oshkosh ($1,332/person difference). Oshkosh, WI has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 88/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $821 | $1,987 |
| Sales Tax | $320 | $107 |
| Income Tax | $125 | $154 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,252 | $14,094 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,772 | $2,241 |
| Other | $2,733 | $3,339 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $403 | $173 |
| Highways & Roads | $84 | $127 |
| Education | $67 | $56 |
| Public Welfare | $1,725 | $1,718 |
| Health | $734 | $601 |
| Hospitals | $169 | $113 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,259 | $1,346 |
| Housing | $2,608 | $2,296 |
| Sewerage | $104 | $0 |
| Utilities | $1,699 | $1,997 |
| Interest on Debt | $935 | $1,027 |
| Other | $5,957 | $4,956 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.