Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 3.0Waukesha spent more per resident in 2022 than 68% of similar cities
Waukesha’s city government spent $117.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,663 per resident. Water and other utilities ($44 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Waukesha is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,417 per resident in 2022: more than 68% of them
Waukesha’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,417 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 31 Wisconsin cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,282, and the middle half spent $1,153–$1,453. Waukesha spent more than 68% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($15.6 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 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Waukesha itself left out).
About $1,663 per resident a year, or $4.56 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 19%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 14% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Waukesha 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: $1,417 · 2023: $1,555 · 2024: $1,663.
full-time in March 2025, down from 497 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 $4,511 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.43% 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 city posts agendas and minutes on ci.waukesha.wi.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 143 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 (70,454).
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.
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 voted in 2024
Official results for Waukesha’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican52.0%20,909 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat46.2%18,588 votesOthers: 1.8% (717 votes).
Most votes in Waukesha: Donald J Trump
Waukesha County: Trump 59.0%, Harris 39.3% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Waukesha’s 54,925 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Waukesha: 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: Waukesha, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waukesha | 52.0% | 46.2% | 1.8% | 40,214 |
| 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 Waukesha.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.waukesha.wi.us ↗
- 2Wisconsin AssemblyWaukesha is split between 3 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 Waukesha compares with the towns next door
Waukesha spent $1,417 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,439 to $1,770. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Pewaukee | $1,439 | $4,394 |
| Brookfield | $1,770 | $3,704 |
| Waukesha | $1,417 | $4,511 |
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 $1,663 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 $1,417 was more than 68% of 31 Wisconsin cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Waukesha?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,511 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.43% 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 did Waukesha vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 52.0%, Kamala D Harris 46.2% (40,214 votes, official results). Waukesha County: Trump 59.0%, Harris 39.3%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Waukesha?
492 full-time and 135 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $3.8M (about $45.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Waukesha in the state legislature?
Waukesha is split among 3 Assembly districts and 2 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 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 →