Green Bay, WI vs Milwaukee, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Milwaukee, WI spends 33% more per resident than Green Bay, WI: $19,417 against $14,610. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Green Bay, WI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 77/100 (grade B) against 62/100 (grade C) for Milwaukee, WI — a 15-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Milwaukee, WI reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Green Bay, WI carries $542 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Green Bay, WI leads with parks and recreation at $999 per resident, while Milwaukee, WI leads with police at $3,642.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Green Bay, WI at 16% of total revenue, whereas Milwaukee, WI relies most on sales tax at 59%.
Summary
Milwaukee spends 24.8% more per capita than Green Bay ($4,807/person difference). Green Bay, WI has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 77/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $90 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $528 | $6,548 |
| Income Tax | $21 | $1 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,739 | $1,231 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,503 | $0 |
| Other | $4,494 | $3,984 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $3,642 |
| Fire Protection | $231 | $802 |
| Highways & Roads | $47 | $23 |
| Public Welfare | $1,260 | $180 |
| Health | $0 | $1 |
| Hospitals | $12 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $999 | $2,206 |
| Housing | $2,820 | $1,071 |
| Sewerage | $155 | $0 |
| Utilities | $3,114 | $1,866 |
| Interest on Debt | $892 | $1,608 |
| Other | $5,081 | $8,018 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.