Fresno, CA vs Milwaukee, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fresno, CA outspends Milwaukee, WI by a wide margin per resident — $43,387 versus $19,417, a 123% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Milwaukee, WI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 62/100 (grade C) against 50/100 (grade C) for Fresno, CA — a 12-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: Fresno, CA leads with education at $3,942 per resident, while Milwaukee, WI leads with police at $3,642.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Fresno, CA at 19% of total revenue, whereas Milwaukee, WI relies most on sales tax at 59%.
Summary
Fresno spends 123.4% more per capita than Milwaukee ($23,970/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 | $337 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $19 | $6,548 |
| Income Tax | $501 | $1 |
| Intergovernmental | -$4,470 | $1,231 |
| Charges & Fees | $11 | $0 |
| Other | $2,070 | $3,984 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,261 | $3,642 |
| Fire Protection | $568 | $802 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $23 |
| Education | $3,942 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,946 | $180 |
| Health | $599 | $1 |
| Parks & Recreation | $76 | $2,206 |
| Housing | $2,856 | $1,071 |
| Utilities | $15,340 | $1,866 |
| Interest on Debt | $255 | $1,608 |
| Other | $14,545 | $8,018 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.