Milwaukee, WI vs Memphis, TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Memphis, TN and Milwaukee, WI spend within 13.9% of each other per resident — $22,111 versus $19,417 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Memphis, TN edges Milwaukee, WI on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 65/100 (grade B) to 62/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Milwaukee, WI reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Memphis, TN carries $303 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Milwaukee, WI leads with police at $3,642 per resident, while Memphis, TN leads with parks and recreation at $1,397.
They also fund themselves differently: sales tax is the largest single revenue source in Milwaukee, WI at 59% of total revenue, whereas Memphis, TN relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Memphis spends 12.2% more per capita than Milwaukee ($2,694/person difference). Memphis, TN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $6,548 | $496 |
| Income Tax | $1 | $1,218 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,231 | $34,065 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,077 |
| Other | $3,984 | $3,994 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,642 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $802 | $469 |
| Highways & Roads | $23 | $277 |
| Public Welfare | $180 | $630 |
| Health | $1 | $391 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,677 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,206 | $1,397 |
| Housing | $1,071 | $4,683 |
| Utilities | $1,866 | $2,578 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,608 | $1,158 |
| Other | $8,018 | $8,850 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.