Milwaukee, WI vs San Antonio, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Milwaukee, WI and San Antonio, TX spend within 14.6% of each other per resident — $19,417 versus $16,943 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
San Antonio, TX edges Milwaukee, WI on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 68/100 (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 San Antonio, TX carries $2,131 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Milwaukee, WI leads with police at $3,642 per resident, while San Antonio, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,045.
They also fund themselves differently: sales tax is the largest single revenue source in Milwaukee, WI at 59% of total revenue, whereas San Antonio, TX relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 17%.
Summary
Milwaukee spends 14.6% more per capita than San Antonio ($2,474/person difference). San Antonio, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 68/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $6,548 | $293 |
| Income Tax | $1 | $1,000 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,231 | $14,312 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $4,025 |
| Other | $3,984 | $3,184 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,642 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $802 | $396 |
| Highways & Roads | $23 | $158 |
| Education | $0 | $23 |
| Public Welfare | $180 | $1,188 |
| Health | $1 | $293 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $993 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,206 | $1,045 |
| Housing | $1,071 | $3,570 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $100 |
| Utilities | $1,866 | $3,826 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,608 | $0 |
| Other | $8,018 | $5,352 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.