Milwaukee, WI vs Austin, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Austin, TX and Milwaukee, WI spend within 12.1% of each other per resident — $21,772 versus $19,417 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Austin, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 62/100 (grade C) for Milwaukee, WI — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Milwaukee, WI reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Austin, TX carries $1,229 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Milwaukee, WI leads with police at $3,642 per resident, while Austin, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,801.
They also fund themselves differently: sales tax is the largest single revenue source in Milwaukee, WI at 59% of total revenue, whereas Austin, TX relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 18%.
Summary
Austin spends 10.8% more per capita than Milwaukee ($2,355/person difference). Austin, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $6,548 | $526 |
| Income Tax | $1 | $1,465 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,231 | $14,031 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,247 |
| Other | $3,984 | $5,645 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,642 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $802 | $634 |
| Highways & Roads | $23 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $51 |
| Public Welfare | $180 | $1,837 |
| Health | $1 | $517 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $664 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,206 | $1,801 |
| Housing | $1,071 | $3,741 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $865 |
| Utilities | $1,866 | $3,264 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,608 | $0 |
| Other | $8,018 | $8,399 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.