County government · Waukesha County, WI

Waukesha County's money: where it comes from and where it goes

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Waukesha County took in $301 million and spent $325 million.

Latest recorded year: ended December 31, 2023Comes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

County taxes39%State tax money27%Federal tax money10%Fines and other9.2%Fees for services (parks and recreation, airport)8.8%Local tax money5.2%

What stands out

10%

of Waukesha County's money comes from federal tax money.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people gets 4.5%.

County taxes39%

Property tax
38%$114 million
Other taxes
1.4%$4.2 million
What's in other taxesReal estate and stock transfer taxes; other licenses and 2 more
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$2.2 million
  • Other licenses$1.1 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$936 thousand
  • Other taxes not classified elsewhere$108 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Sales tax
-<0.1%-$2 thousand

Fees for services8.8%

Fees for services
8.8%$26.5 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges; parks and recreation and 5 more
  • Other service charges$16.9 million
  • Parks and recreation$7.3 million
  • Airport$1.6 million
  • Garbage collection$418 thousand
  • Parks, land and natural resources$156 thousand
  • Transit fares$137 thousand
  • Road charges$3 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money10%

Grants from Washington, paid for by the federal taxes residents also pay.

From the federal government
10%$31.3 million

State tax money27%

Money the state passes on, paid for by the state taxes residents also pay.

From the state
27%$82.1 million

Local tax money5.2%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
5.2%$15.6 million

Fines and other9.2%

Interest, rents and other
8.8%$26.4 million
Fines
0.4%$1.3 million

Where it goes

Running the government and other costs33%Police, fire, courts and jails24%Social services15%Health and hospitals11%Roads, transit and parking7.0%All other spending11%

What stands out

15%

of Waukesha County's spending goes to social services.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people spends 4.3%.

Spending by category100%

Running the government and other costs
33%$107 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; government buildings and 2 more
  • Other and not broken out$75.4 million
  • Government buildings$20.0 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$6.2 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$5.1 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
24%$76.4 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; prisons and jails and 1 more
  • Police$36.6 million
  • Prisons and jails$21.2 million
  • Courts and legal services$18.5 million
Social services
15%$48.4 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$48.4 million
Health and hospitals
11%$35.7 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$35.7 million
Roads, transit and parking
7.0%$22.7 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways; airports and 1 more
  • Roads and highways$20.1 million
  • Airports$2.2 million
  • Public transit$343 thousand
Parks, recreation and libraries
6.6%$21.5 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$17.5 million
  • Libraries$4.0 million
Sent to other local governments
2.1%$6.9 million
What's in sent to other local governmentsSent to the state government
  • Sent to the state government$6.9 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
1.3%$4.3 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$4.3 million
Interest on debt
0.6%$2.0 million
Schools and colleges
0.1%$366 thousand
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools
  • Elementary and secondary schools$366 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Waukesha County. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

What this covers. The money of Waukesha County itself. Other governments that serve the same area (the city, county, school district and state) are separate and not included. Borrowing, transfers between a government's own funds, and pension trust funds are not counted as revenue.