Milwaukee, WI vs San Diego, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Diego, CA outspends Milwaukee, WI by a wide margin per resident — $43,306 versus $19,417, a 123% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Milwaukee, WI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 62/100 (grade C) against 53/100 (grade C) for San Diego, CA — a 9-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 San Diego, CA at $3,335.
They also fund themselves differently: sales tax is the largest single revenue source in Milwaukee, WI at 59% of total revenue, whereas San Diego, CA relies most on other revenue at 39%.
Summary
San Diego spends 55.2% more per capita than Milwaukee ($23,889/person difference). Milwaukee, WI has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 62/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $124 |
| Sales Tax | $6,548 | $63 |
| Income Tax | $1 | $194 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,231 | $57 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $14 |
| Other | $3,984 | $3,801 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,642 | $3,335 |
| Fire Protection | $802 | $1,278 |
| Highways & Roads | $23 | $1,408 |
| Education | $0 | $2,005 |
| Public Welfare | $180 | $700 |
| Health | $1 | $411 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,206 | $436 |
| Housing | $1,071 | $4,476 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $43 |
| Utilities | $1,866 | $11,704 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,608 | $0 |
| Other | $8,018 | $17,509 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.