Milwaukee, WI vs Racine, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Racine, WI spends 24% more per resident than Milwaukee, WI: $24,108 against $19,417. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Racine, WI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 70/100 (grade B) against 62/100 (grade C) for Milwaukee, WI — a 8-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. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: police leads in Milwaukee, WI at $3,642 per resident and in Racine, WI at $2,604.
They also fund themselves differently: sales tax is the largest single revenue source in Milwaukee, WI at 59% of total revenue, whereas Racine, WI relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 15%.
Summary
Racine spends 19.5% more per capita than Milwaukee ($4,691/person difference). Racine, WI has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $261 |
| Sales Tax | $6,548 | $174 |
| Income Tax | $1 | $23 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,231 | $3,150 |
| Other | $3,984 | $1,587 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,642 | $2,604 |
| Fire Protection | $802 | $471 |
| Highways & Roads | $23 | $463 |
| Public Welfare | $180 | $1,459 |
| Health | $1 | $392 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,206 | $555 |
| Housing | $1,071 | $4,227 |
| Utilities | $1,866 | $2,406 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,608 | $0 |
| Other | $8,018 | $11,532 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.