Oklahoma City, OK vs Milwaukee, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Milwaukee, WI and Oklahoma City, OK spend within 7.4% of each other per resident — $19,417 versus $18,074 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Oklahoma City, OK edges Milwaukee, WI on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 65/100 (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 Oklahoma City, OK carries $3,520 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Oklahoma City, OK leads with parks and recreation at $2,014 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 Oklahoma City, OK at 19% of total revenue, whereas Milwaukee, WI relies most on sales tax at 59%.
Summary
Milwaukee spends 6.9% more per capita than Oklahoma City ($1,344/person difference). Oklahoma City, OK has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $763 | $6,548 |
| Income Tax | $1,037 | $1 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,852 | $1,231 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,256 | $0 |
| Other | $1,836 | $3,984 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $3,642 |
| Fire Protection | $513 | $802 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $23 |
| Public Welfare | $1,525 | $180 |
| Health | $5 | $1 |
| Hospitals | $2,044 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,014 | $2,206 |
| Housing | $2,857 | $1,071 |
| Utilities | $4,523 | $1,866 |
| Interest on Debt | $707 | $1,608 |
| Other | $3,886 | $8,018 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.