Report: Wisconsin municipal spending increased 7.1% due to inflation

Municipal spending rose 7.1% in 2023 in Wisconsin, something attributed to the inflationary costs of labor and other expenses, according to a new report.

That meant cities and villages spent $1,192 per resident on average in 2023 compared to $1,112 in 2022, according to a new analysis from Wisconsin Policy Forum.

The data came from 10 years of Department of Revenue information and are part of the group’s MuniTool examining taxpayer costs across the state.

Overall, municipalities collected more than $3 billion in property taxes for the first time in 2024, a 4.0% increase in tax collections from 2023 and a 38% increase from 2014.

The per capita property tax levy went up 3.3% year over year.

The statewide average tax rate per $1,000 of equalized property value went down to $5.70 in 2024. But that coincides with a trend of increased property assessments.

The Department of Revenue recently reported that the taxable value of Wisconsin property went up 8% in 2025.

The total equalized value of property in the state has jumped from $654.8 billion in 2021 to $982.8 billion in 2025.

Wisconsin municipalities also had $8.8 billion in general obligation debt in 2023, a 2.9% increase that was the smallest percentage increase in the past decade.

Across all municipalities, total general obligation, or G.O., debt rose to $8.8 billion in 2023, increasing by 2.9%. This is the smallest annual increase in the past decade in G.O. debt, which is backed by municipal tax levies.