Photo: Chris Favero from USA · CC BY-SA 2.0Brookfield spent more per resident in 2022 than 90% of similar cities
Brookfield’s city government spent $80.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,911 per resident. Water and other utilities ($6 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Brookfield is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,787 per resident in 2022: more than 90% of them
Brookfield’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,787 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 21 Wisconsin cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,227, and the middle half spent $1,125–$1,446. Brookfield spent more than 90% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($16.7 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Wisconsin cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Brookfield itself left out).
About $1,911 per resident a year, or $5.24 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 23%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 15% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Brookfield reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,787 · 2023: $1,799 · 2024: $1,911. Per resident it went from $1,787 to $1,911 (up 7%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 39,164 to 41,958.
full-time in March 2025, up from 315 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $5,389 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.21% of the home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Brookfield’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Brookfield’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Brookfield →
Who’s in charge in Brookfield
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Brookfield’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.brookfield.wi.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 129 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (41,958).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Elmbrook School District
Brookfield’s K–12 school district, shared with Elm Grove, Brookfield. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,762 per pupil, $9,328 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Wisconsin districts overall: 39% local, 50% state, 11% federal.
Waukesha School District · $14,495 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Brookfield voted in 2024
Official results for Brookfield’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican51.4%14,353 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat46.1%12,878 votesOthers: 2.4% (683 votes).
Most votes in Brookfield: Donald J Trump
Waukesha County: Trump 59.0%, Harris 39.3% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Brookfield’s 29,501 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Brookfield: Eric Hovde
Waukesha County: Hovde 59.8%, Baldwin 38.7% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Scott Fitzgerald
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Brookfield, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brookfield | 51.4% | 46.1% | 2.4% | 27,914 |
| Waukesha County | 59.0% | 39.3% | 1.6% | 275,787 |
| Wisconsin | 49.6% | 48.7% | 1.7% | 3,422,918 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Brookfield.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.brookfield.wi.us ↗
- 2Wisconsin AssemblyBrookfield is split between 2 districts
- 3Wisconsin SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Wisconsin
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Brookfield compares with the towns next door
Brookfield spent $1,787 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,114 to $2,007. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| New Berlin | $1,114 | $4,462 |
| Menomonee Falls | $1,216 | $4,261 |
| West Allis | $1,380 | $3,894 |
| Wauwatosa | $1,533 | $5,922 |
| Elm Grove | $1,574 | $7,245 |
| Butler | $2,007 | $3,075 |
| Brookfield | $1,787 | $5,389 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Brookfield’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Brookfield’s government
How much does Brookfield spend per resident?
About $1,911 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,787 was more than 90% of 21 Wisconsin cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Brookfield?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,389 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.21% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.brookfield.wi.us.
Who runs Brookfield’s government?
See ci.brookfield.wi.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Brookfield yet.
How did Brookfield vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 51.4%, Kamala D Harris 46.1% (27,914 votes, official results). Waukesha County: Trump 59.0%, Harris 39.3%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Brookfield?
325 full-time and 72 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.8M (about $33.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Brookfield in the state legislature?
Brookfield is split among 2 Assembly districts, so your address decides. The Wisconsin Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 5 (Rob Hutton). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Brookfield’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →