Waukesha, WI vs Racine, 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 Waukesha, WI at $2,927 per resident and in Racine, WI at $2,604.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 27% of total revenue in Waukesha, WI and 15% in Racine, WI.
Summary
Waukesha spends 58.9% 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 | $1 | $261 |
| Sales Tax | $891 | $174 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $23 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,249 | $3,150 |
| Other | $2,389 | $1,587 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,927 | $2,604 |
| Fire Protection | $856 | $471 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,204 | $463 |
| Public Welfare | $1,186 | $1,459 |
| Health | $523 | $392 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,677 | $555 |
| Housing | $4,755 | $4,227 |
| Utilities | $6,106 | $2,406 |
| Interest on Debt | $88 | $0 |
| Other | $18,994 | $11,532 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.