San Antonio, TX vs Milwaukee, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Milwaukee, WI and San Antonio, TX spend within 14.6% of each other per resident — $19,417 versus $16,943 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
San Antonio, TX edges Milwaukee, WI on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 68/100 (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 San Antonio, TX carries $2,131 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: San Antonio, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,045 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 San Antonio, TX at 17% of total revenue, whereas Milwaukee, WI relies most on sales tax at 59%.
Summary
Milwaukee spends 12.7% more per capita than San Antonio ($2,474/person difference). San Antonio, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 68/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $9 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $293 | $6,548 |
| Income Tax | $1,000 | $1 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,312 | $1,231 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,025 | $0 |
| Other | $3,184 | $3,984 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $3,642 |
| Fire Protection | $396 | $802 |
| Highways & Roads | $158 | $23 |
| Education | $23 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,188 | $180 |
| Health | $293 | $1 |
| Hospitals | $993 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,045 | $2,206 |
| Housing | $3,570 | $1,071 |
| Sewerage | $100 | $0 |
| Utilities | $3,826 | $1,866 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,608 |
| Other | $5,352 | $8,018 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.