Milwaukee, WI vs Mesa, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Milwaukee, WI spends 52% more per resident than Mesa, AZ: $19,417 against $12,768. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Mesa, AZ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 62/100 (grade C) for Milwaukee, WI — a 28-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Milwaukee, WI reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Mesa, AZ carries $469 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Milwaukee, WI leads with police at $3,642 per resident, while Mesa, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $953.
They also fund themselves differently: sales tax is the largest single revenue source in Milwaukee, WI at 59% of total revenue, whereas Mesa, AZ relies most on charges and fees at 9%.
Summary
Milwaukee spends 52.1% more per capita than Mesa ($6,649/person difference). Mesa, AZ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $47 |
| Sales Tax | $6,548 | $463 |
| Income Tax | $1 | $1,376 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,231 | $1,383 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,334 |
| Other | $3,984 | $2,253 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,642 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $802 | $422 |
| Highways & Roads | $23 | $192 |
| Public Welfare | $180 | $829 |
| Health | $1 | $147 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $537 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,206 | $953 |
| Housing | $1,071 | $4,190 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $38 |
| Utilities | $1,866 | $2,376 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,608 | $0 |
| Other | $8,018 | $3,082 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.