Kenosha, WI vs Madison, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Madison, WI and Kenosha, WI spend within 14.3% of each other per resident — $21,859 versus $19,120 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Madison, WI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 87/100 (grade A) against 72/100 (grade B) for Kenosha, WI — a 15-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: Kenosha, WI leads with police at $2,544 per resident, while Madison, WI leads with parks and recreation at $1,572.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 27% of total revenue in Kenosha, WI and 19% in Madison, WI.
Summary
Madison spends 12.5% more per capita than Kenosha ($2,739/person difference). Madison, WI has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 87/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $770 |
| Sales Tax | $477 | $1,178 |
| Income Tax | $19 | $32 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,020 | $7,913 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,755 |
| Other | $1,853 | $2,381 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,544 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $374 | $264 |
| Highways & Roads | $330 | $47 |
| Education | $0 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $0 | $1,769 |
| Health | $259 | $744 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,664 |
| Parks & Recreation | $663 | $1,572 |
| Housing | $2,466 | $3,100 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $166 |
| Utilities | $4,909 | $3,406 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $2,451 |
| Other | $7,574 | $6,676 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.