Milwaukee, WI vs Oklahoma City, OK
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Milwaukee, WI and Oklahoma City, OK spend within 7.4% of each other per resident — $19,417 versus $18,074 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Oklahoma City, OK 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 Oklahoma City, OK carries $3,520 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Milwaukee, WI leads with police at $3,642 per resident, while Oklahoma City, OK leads with parks and recreation at $2,014.
They also fund themselves differently: sales tax is the largest single revenue source in Milwaukee, WI at 59% of total revenue, whereas Oklahoma City, OK relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 19%.
Summary
Milwaukee spends 7.4% more per capita than Oklahoma City ($1,344/person difference). Oklahoma City, OK has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $6,548 | $763 |
| Income Tax | $1 | $1,037 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,231 | $6,852 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,256 |
| Other | $3,984 | $1,836 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,642 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $802 | $513 |
| Highways & Roads | $23 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $180 | $1,525 |
| Health | $1 | $5 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $2,044 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,206 | $2,014 |
| Housing | $1,071 | $2,857 |
| Utilities | $1,866 | $4,523 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,608 | $707 |
| Other | $8,018 | $3,886 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.