Waukesha, WI vs Eau Claire, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Waukesha, WI outspends Eau Claire, WI by a wide margin per resident — $38,315 versus $15,744, a 143% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Eau Claire, WI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 87/100 (grade A) against 53/100 (grade C) for Waukesha, WI — a 34-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: Waukesha, WI leads with police at $2,927 per resident, while Eau Claire, WI leads with parks and recreation at $1,259.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 27% of total revenue in Waukesha, WI and 27% in Eau Claire, WI.
Summary
Waukesha spends 143.4% more per capita than Eau Claire ($22,572/person difference). Eau Claire, WI has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 87/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1 | $821 |
| Sales Tax | $891 | $320 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $125 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,249 | $9,252 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,772 |
| Other | $2,389 | $2,733 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,927 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $856 | $403 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,204 | $84 |
| Education | $0 | $67 |
| Public Welfare | $1,186 | $1,725 |
| Health | $523 | $734 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $169 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,677 | $1,259 |
| Housing | $4,755 | $2,608 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $104 |
| Utilities | $6,106 | $1,699 |
| Interest on Debt | $88 | $935 |
| Other | $18,994 | $5,957 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.