Madison, WI vs Racine, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Racine, WI and Madison, WI spend within 10.3% of each other per resident — $24,108 versus $21,859 — 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 70/100 (grade B) for Racine, WI — a 17-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 Racine, WI leads with police at $2,604.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 19% of total revenue in Madison, WI and 15% in Racine, WI.
Summary
Racine spends 9.3% more per capita than Madison ($2,249/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 | $261 |
| Sales Tax | $1,178 | $174 |
| Income Tax | $32 | $23 |
| Intergovernmental | $7,913 | $3,150 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,755 | $0 |
| Other | $2,381 | $1,587 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $2,604 |
| Fire Protection | $264 | $471 |
| Highways & Roads | $47 | $463 |
| Education | $0 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,769 | $1,459 |
| Health | $744 | $392 |
| Hospitals | $1,664 | $1 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,572 | $555 |
| Housing | $3,100 | $4,227 |
| Sewerage | $166 | $0 |
| Utilities | $3,406 | $2,406 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,451 | $0 |
| Other | $6,676 | $11,532 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.