Kenosha, WI vs Milwaukee, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Milwaukee, WI and Kenosha, WI spend within 1.6% of each other per resident — $19,417 versus $19,120 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Kenosha, WI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 72/100 (grade B) against 62/100 (grade C) for Milwaukee, WI — a 10-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. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: police leads in Kenosha, WI at $2,544 per resident and in Milwaukee, WI at $3,642.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Kenosha, WI at 27% of total revenue, whereas Milwaukee, WI relies most on sales tax at 59%.
Summary
Milwaukee spends 1.5% more per capita than Kenosha ($297/person difference). Kenosha, WI has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 72/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $477 | $6,548 |
| Income Tax | $19 | $1 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,020 | $1,231 |
| Other | $1,853 | $3,984 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,544 | $3,642 |
| Fire Protection | $374 | $802 |
| Highways & Roads | $330 | $23 |
| Public Welfare | $0 | $180 |
| Health | $259 | $1 |
| Parks & Recreation | $663 | $2,206 |
| Housing | $2,466 | $1,071 |
| Utilities | $4,909 | $1,866 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,608 |
| Other | $7,574 | $8,018 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.