Omaha, NE vs Milwaukee, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Milwaukee, WI outspends Omaha, NE by a wide margin per resident — $19,417 versus $11,180, a 74% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Omaha, NE holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 62/100 (grade C) for Milwaukee, WI — a 28-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. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Omaha, NE leads with parks and recreation at $742 per resident, while Milwaukee, WI leads with police at $3,642.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Omaha, NE at 17% of total revenue, whereas Milwaukee, WI relies most on sales tax at 59%.
Summary
Milwaukee spends 42.4% more per capita than Omaha ($8,237/person difference). Omaha, NE has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $624 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $373 | $6,548 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,622 | $1,231 |
| Other | $4,672 | $3,984 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $3,642 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $802 |
| Highways & Roads | $319 | $23 |
| Public Welfare | $1,521 | $180 |
| Health | $456 | $1 |
| Parks & Recreation | $742 | $2,206 |
| Housing | $3,045 | $1,071 |
| Utilities | $581 | $1,866 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,608 |
| Other | $4,516 | $8,018 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.