Madison, WI vs Green Bay, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Madison, WI spends 50% more per resident than Green Bay, WI: $21,859 against $14,610. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Madison, WI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 87/100 (grade A) against 77/100 (grade B) for Green Bay, WI — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Madison, WI reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Green Bay, WI carries $542 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Madison, WI at $1,572 per resident and in Green Bay, WI at $999.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Madison, WI at 19% of total revenue, whereas Green Bay, WI relies most on charges and fees at 16%.
Summary
Madison spends 49.6% more per capita than Green Bay ($7,249/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 | $770 | $90 |
| Sales Tax | $1,178 | $528 |
| Income Tax | $32 | $21 |
| Intergovernmental | $7,913 | $3,739 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,755 | $4,503 |
| Other | $2,381 | $4,494 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $264 | $231 |
| Highways & Roads | $47 | $47 |
| Education | $0 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,769 | $1,260 |
| Health | $744 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,664 | $12 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,572 | $999 |
| Housing | $3,100 | $2,820 |
| Sewerage | $166 | $155 |
| Utilities | $3,406 | $3,114 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,451 | $892 |
| Other | $6,676 | $5,081 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.