San Jose, CA vs Milwaukee, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Milwaukee, WI and San Jose, CA spend within 8.3% of each other per resident — $19,417 versus $17,934 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
San Jose, CA 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: San Jose, CA leads with parks and recreation at $1,424 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 San Jose, CA at 9% of total revenue, whereas Milwaukee, WI relies most on sales tax at 59%.
Summary
Milwaukee spends 7.6% more per capita than San Jose ($1,483/person difference). San Jose, CA 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 | $40 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $315 | $6,548 |
| Income Tax | $1,935 | $1 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,680 | $1,231 |
| Charges & Fees | $608 | $0 |
| Other | $3,519 | $3,984 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $3,642 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $802 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $23 |
| Public Welfare | $810 | $180 |
| Health | $609 | $1 |
| Hospitals | $1,254 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,424 | $2,206 |
| Housing | $4,897 | $1,071 |
| Sewerage | $161 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,533 | $1,866 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,608 |
| Other | $6,247 | $8,018 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.