Madison, WI vs Milwaukee, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Madison, WI and Milwaukee, WI spend within 12.6% of each other per resident — $21,859 versus $19,417 — 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 62/100 (grade C) for Milwaukee, WI — a 25-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: Madison, WI leads with parks and recreation at $1,572 per resident, while Milwaukee, WI leads with police at $3,642.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Madison, WI at 19% of total revenue, whereas Milwaukee, WI relies most on sales tax at 59%.
Summary
Madison spends 12.6% more per capita than Milwaukee ($2,442/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 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $1,178 | $6,548 |
| Income Tax | $32 | $1 |
| Intergovernmental | $7,913 | $1,231 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,755 | $0 |
| Other | $2,381 | $3,984 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $3,642 |
| Fire Protection | $264 | $802 |
| Highways & Roads | $47 | $23 |
| Education | $0 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,769 | $180 |
| Health | $744 | $1 |
| Hospitals | $1,664 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,572 | $2,206 |
| Housing | $3,100 | $1,071 |
| Sewerage | $166 | $0 |
| Utilities | $3,406 | $1,866 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,451 | $1,608 |
| Other | $6,676 | $8,018 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.