Photo: Patriarca12 · CC BY 3.0West Milwaukee spent more per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar cities
West Milwaukee’s village government spent $8.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $2,132 per resident.
What stands out about how West Milwaukee is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$2,290 per resident in 2022: more than 97% of them
West Milwaukee’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,290 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 $1,174, and the middle half spent $990–$1,409. West Milwaukee spent more than 97% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.3 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; West Milwaukee itself left out).
About $2,132 per resident a year, or $5.84 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 42%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 8% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years West 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: $2,290 · 2023: $2,132.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,803 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.83% 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 West 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 West Milwaukee’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in West Milwaukee →
Who’s in charge in West Milwaukee
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time village employee for every 110 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (4,054).
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.
West Allis School District
West Milwaukee’s K–12 school district, shared with West Allis. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,515 per pupil, $7,674 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 West Milwaukee voted in 2024
Official results for West Milwaukee’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat68.1%1,129 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican29.9%496 votesOthers: 2.0% (33 votes).
Most votes in West Milwaukee: Kamala D Harris
Milwaukee County: Harris 68.2%, Trump 29.7% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of West Milwaukee’s 2,869 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in West 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: West Milwaukee, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Milwaukee | 68.1% | 29.9% | 2.0% | 1,658 |
| 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
Every level of government that speaks for West Milwaukee.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Wisconsin AssemblyState representatives
- 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 West Milwaukee compares with the towns next door
West Milwaukee spent $2,290 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,380 to $1,768. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| West Allis | $1,380 | $3,894 |
| Milwaukee | $1,768 | $3,668 |
| West Milwaukee | $2,290 | $3,803 |
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 West Milwaukee’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about West Milwaukee’s government
How much does West Milwaukee spend per resident?
About $2,132 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,290 was more than 97% of 134 Wisconsin cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in West Milwaukee?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,803 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.83% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the village’s assessor.
Who runs West Milwaukee’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for West Milwaukee yet.
How did West Milwaukee vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 68.1%, Donald J Trump 29.9% (1,658 votes, official results). Milwaukee County: Harris 68.2%, Trump 29.7%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for West Milwaukee?
37 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $299,900 (about $3.6M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents West Milwaukee in the state legislature?
State Senate District 3 (Tim Carpenter) and Assembly District 9 (Priscilla Prado). The Assembly district also covers parts of 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about West 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 →