Racine, WI vs Milwaukee, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Racine, WI spends 24% more per resident than Milwaukee, WI: $24,108 against $19,417. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Racine, WI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 70/100 (grade B) against 62/100 (grade C) for Milwaukee, WI — a 8-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 Racine, WI at $2,604 per resident and in Milwaukee, WI at $3,642.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Racine, WI at 15% of total revenue, whereas Milwaukee, WI relies most on sales tax at 59%.
Summary
Racine spends 24.2% more per capita than Milwaukee ($4,691/person difference). Racine, WI has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $261 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $174 | $6,548 |
| Income Tax | $23 | $1 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,150 | $1,231 |
| Other | $1,587 | $3,984 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,604 | $3,642 |
| Fire Protection | $471 | $802 |
| Highways & Roads | $463 | $23 |
| Public Welfare | $1,459 | $180 |
| Health | $392 | $1 |
| Hospitals | $1 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $555 | $2,206 |
| Housing | $4,227 | $1,071 |
| Utilities | $2,406 | $1,866 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,608 |
| Other | $11,532 | $8,018 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.