Milwaukee, WI vs Waukesha, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Waukesha, WI outspends Milwaukee, WI by a wide margin per resident — $38,315 versus $19,417, a 97% 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 Waukesha, WI — 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 Waukesha, WI at $2,927.
They also fund themselves differently: sales tax is the largest single revenue source in Milwaukee, WI at 59% of total revenue, whereas Waukesha, WI relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 27%.
Summary
Waukesha spends 49.3% more per capita than Milwaukee ($18,898/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 | $1 |
| Sales Tax | $6,548 | $891 |
| Income Tax | $1 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,231 | $3,249 |
| Other | $3,984 | $2,389 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,642 | $2,927 |
| Fire Protection | $802 | $856 |
| Highways & Roads | $23 | $1,204 |
| Public Welfare | $180 | $1,186 |
| Health | $1 | $523 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,206 | $1,677 |
| Housing | $1,071 | $4,755 |
| Utilities | $1,866 | $6,106 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,608 | $88 |
| Other | $8,018 | $18,994 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.