Phoenix, AZ vs Milwaukee, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Milwaukee, WI spends 23% more per resident than Phoenix, AZ: $19,417 against $15,793. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Phoenix, AZ edges Milwaukee, WI on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 67/100 (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 Phoenix, AZ carries $1,156 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Phoenix, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $652 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 Phoenix, AZ at 100% of total revenue, whereas Milwaukee, WI relies most on sales tax at 59%.
Summary
Milwaukee spends 18.7% more per capita than Phoenix ($3,624/person difference). Phoenix, AZ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 67/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $7 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $338 | $6,548 |
| Income Tax | $1,260 | $1 |
| Intergovernmental | $50,709 | $1,231 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,998 | $0 |
| Other | $2,038 | $3,984 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $3,642 |
| Fire Protection | $170 | $802 |
| Highways & Roads | $86 | $23 |
| Education | $214 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $507 | $180 |
| Health | $258 | $1 |
| Hospitals | $1,521 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $652 | $2,206 |
| Housing | $3,879 | $1,071 |
| Sewerage | $388 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,480 | $1,866 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,760 | $1,608 |
| Other | $3,878 | $8,018 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.