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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Indianapolis city (balance), IN vs Milwaukee, WI

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Indianapolis city (balance), IN outspends Milwaukee, WI by a wide margin per resident — $46,045 versus $19,417, a 137% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Indianapolis city (balance), IN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 74/100 (grade B) against 62/100 (grade C) for Milwaukee, WI — a 12-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

Milwaukee, WI reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Indianapolis city (balance), IN carries $577 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: police leads in Indianapolis city (balance), IN at $2,032 per resident and in Milwaukee, WI at $3,642.

They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Indianapolis city (balance), IN at 6% of total revenue, whereas Milwaukee, WI relies most on sales tax at 59%.

Summary

Indianapolis city (balance) spends 137.1% more per capita than Milwaukee ($26,628/person difference). Indianapolis city (balance), IN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 74/100).

Fiscal Health Score

B
74/100
Budget Balance98
Debt Burden98
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Milwaukee, WI
Pop. 573,299
C
62/100
Budget Balance32
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency91
Revenue Diversity1
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Indianapolis city (balance)
Milwaukee
Total Spending
$40.6B
$11.1B
Spending / Capita
$46,045
$19,417
Total Revenue
$66.0B
$6.3B
Revenue / Capita
$74,799
$11,027
Total Debt
$509.0M
$0
Debt / Capita
$577
$0
Population
882,006
573,299
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Indianapolis city (balance)$2,032
Milwaukee$3,642
Fire Protection
Indianapolis city (balance)$397
Milwaukee$802
Highways & Roads
Indianapolis city (balance)$0
Milwaukee$23
Parks & Recreation
Indianapolis city (balance)$798
Milwaukee$2,206
Health
Indianapolis city (balance)$0
Milwaukee$1

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

Indianapolis city (balance)Milwaukee
Property Tax
$20
$0
Sales Tax
$178
$6,548
Income Tax
$136
$1
Intergovernmental
$1,312
$1,231
Charges & Fees
$2,813
$0
Other
$4,675
$3,984

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

Indianapolis city (balance)Milwaukee
Police
$2,032
$3,642
Fire Protection
$397
$802
Highways & Roads
$0
$23
Public Welfare
$1,469
$180
Health
$0
$1
Hospitals
$2,453
$0
Parks & Recreation
$798
$2,206
Housing
$2,664
$1,071
Sewerage
$248
$0
Utilities
$2,227
$1,866
Interest on Debt
$1,381
$1,608
General Admin
$23,227
$0
Other
$9,149
$8,018
B
Indianapolis city (balance), IN
Fiscal Health Score: 74/100
Good fiscal health
C
Milwaukee, WI
Fiscal Health Score: 62/100
Average fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.