Racine, WI vs Waukesha, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Waukesha, WI spends 59% more per resident than Racine, WI: $38,315 against $24,108. 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 53/100 (grade C) for Waukesha, WI — a 17-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 Waukesha, WI at $2,927.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 15% of total revenue in Racine, WI and 27% in Waukesha, WI.
Summary
Waukesha spends 37.1% more per capita than Racine ($14,207/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 | $1 |
| Sales Tax | $174 | $891 |
| Income Tax | $23 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,150 | $3,249 |
| Other | $1,587 | $2,389 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,604 | $2,927 |
| Fire Protection | $471 | $856 |
| Highways & Roads | $463 | $1,204 |
| Public Welfare | $1,459 | $1,186 |
| Health | $392 | $523 |
| Hospitals | $1 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $555 | $1,677 |
| Housing | $4,227 | $4,755 |
| Utilities | $2,406 | $6,106 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $88 |
| Other | $11,532 | $18,994 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.