Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 3.0Waukesha spent less per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities
Waukesha’s village government spent $2.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $299 per resident.
What stands out about how Waukesha is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$299 per resident in 2022: less than 100% of them
Waukesha’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($299 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 134 Wisconsin cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,178, and the middle half spent $990–$1,415. Waukesha spent less than 100% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($493,000), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Waukesha itself left out).
About $299 per resident a year, or $0.82 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: fire, at 23%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Waukesha reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,681 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.89% 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 Waukesha’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 Waukesha’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Waukesha →
Who’s in charge in Waukesha
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Waukesha’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on ci.waukesha.wi.us ↗.
One full-time village employee for every 1,490 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (8,939).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Waukesha School District
Waukesha’s K–12 school district, shared with Waukesha, Brookfield, Pewaukee, Genesee. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,495 per pupil, $8,550 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 Waukesha compares with the towns next door
Waukesha spent $299 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $437 to $1,114. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Genesee | $437 | $4,235 |
| Vernon | $440 | $3,899 |
| Mukwonago | $461 | $4,090 |
| New Berlin | $1,114 | $4,462 |
| Waukesha | $299 | $3,681 |
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 Waukesha’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Waukesha’s government
How much does Waukesha spend per resident?
About $299 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $299 was less than 100% of 134 Wisconsin cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Waukesha?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,681 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.89% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.waukesha.wi.us.
Who runs Waukesha’s government?
See ci.waukesha.wi.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Waukesha yet.
How many people work for Waukesha?
6 full-time and 11 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $39,997 (about $479,964 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Waukesha’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 →