Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN vs Milwaukee, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN outspends Milwaukee, WI by a wide margin per resident — $48,948 versus $19,417, a 152% 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 47/100 (grade D) for Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN — a 15-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Milwaukee, WI reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN carries $2,292 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN leads with education at $21,061 per resident, while Milwaukee, WI leads with police at $3,642.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN at 10% of total revenue, whereas Milwaukee, WI relies most on sales tax at 59%.
Summary
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) spends 152.1% more per capita than Milwaukee ($29,531/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)
| Sales Tax | $373 | $6,548 |
| Income Tax | $135 | $1 |
| Intergovernmental | $13,787 | $1,231 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,444 | $0 |
| Other | $4,617 | $3,984 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $3,642 |
| Fire Protection | $468 | $802 |
| Highways & Roads | $11 | $23 |
| Education | $21,061 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $738 | $180 |
| Health | $672 | $1 |
| Hospitals | $2,100 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,015 | $2,206 |
| Housing | $4,231 | $1,071 |
| Sewerage | $217 | $0 |
| Utilities | $3,140 | $1,866 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,667 | $1,608 |
| General Admin | $2,081 | $0 |
| Other | $10,028 | $8,018 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.