Photo: Bfkenney · CC BY-SA 4.0Milwaukee spent more per resident in 2022 than 88% of similar cities
Milwaukee’s city government spent $1.1 billion on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,867 per resident. Water and other utilities ($96.8 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Milwaukee is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Milwaukee
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: city.milwaukee.gov ↗
Milwaukee’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on city.milwaukee.gov ↗.
About $1,867 per resident a year, or $5.12 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 32%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,768 per resident in 2022: more than 88% of them
Milwaukee’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,768 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 604 Wisconsin cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,142, and the middle half spent $905–$1,435. Milwaukee spent more than 88% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($112.4 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 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Milwaukee itself left out).
Day-to-day spending has held about steady since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Milwaukee 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: $1,768 · 2023: $1,769 · 2024: $1,867.
full-time in March 2025, up from 5,857 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 $3,668 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.99% 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 Milwaukee’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 Milwaukee’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Milwaukee →
One full-time city employee for every 92 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 (563,305).
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.
Milwaukee School District
Milwaukee’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $20,815 per pupil, $11,099 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Milwaukee voted in 2024
Official results for Milwaukee’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat77.1%191,414 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican20.8%51,693 votesOthers: 2.1% (5,095 votes).
Most votes in Milwaukee: Kamala D Harris
Milwaukee County: Harris 68.2%, Trump 29.7% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Milwaukee’s 388,889 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Milwaukee: Tammy Baldwin
Milwaukee County: Baldwin 68.9%, Hovde 28.8% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Gwen S Moore
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Milwaukee, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 77.1% | 20.8% | 2.1% | 248,202 |
| Milwaukee County | 68.2% | 29.7% | 2.1% | 464,107 |
| Wisconsin | 48.7% | 49.6% | 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
Milwaukee sends 14 members to the State Assembly alone.
- 1Your cityMayorCavalier Johnsonas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Wisconsin AssemblyMilwaukee is split between 14 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 Milwaukee compares with the towns next door
No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses Wisconsin cities that don’t run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| St. Francis | $1,201 | $4,592 |
| Menomonee Falls | $1,216 | $4,261 |
| Oak Creek | $1,282 | $5,839 |
| Shorewood | $1,295 | $9,688 |
| West Allis | $1,380 | $3,894 |
| Brown Deer | $1,385 | $4,826 |
| Wauwatosa | $1,533 | $5,922 |
| Glendale | $1,533 | $5,669 |
| Greenfield | $1,628 | $4,705 |
| West Milwaukee | $2,290 | $3,803 |
| Milwaukee | $1,768 | $3,668 |
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 Milwaukee’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Milwaukee’s government
How much does Milwaukee spend per resident?
About $1,867 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 $1,768 was more than 88% of 604 Wisconsin cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Milwaukee?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,668 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.99% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see city.milwaukee.gov.
Who is the mayor of Milwaukee?
Cavalier Johnson, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on city.milwaukee.gov.
How did Milwaukee vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 77.1%, Donald J Trump 20.8% (248,202 votes, official results). Milwaukee County: Harris 68.2%, Trump 29.7%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Milwaukee?
6,092 full-time and 597 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $45.5M (about $545.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Milwaukee in the state legislature?
Milwaukee is split among 14 Assembly districts and 6 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Wisconsin Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Milwaukee’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 →