Fiscal Facts

Wisconsin’s reported homeless population increased nearly 5% in 2026 to nearly 5,500 individuals, a new Wisconsin Policy Forum report finds.

Wisconsin-born adults who have moved to other states are more likely to be college educated than their counterparts born in other states who move to Wisconsin, producing a net brain drain rate that is among the worst in the nation.

Math and reading levels and chronic absenteeism rates have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels in Wisconsin, as test scores continue to lag 2019 results and absenteeism rates remain sharply elevated.

In August 2025, more than 10 inches of rain fell in Wisconsin in less than a day, triggering widespread flooding and causing more than $240 million in damage to private and public property in the Milwaukee area.

The number of people incarcerated in Wisconsin state prisons for intoxicated driving offenses hit a record high in 2024.

Wisconsin ranks 8th among the states in a new national report that assesses the state of all 50 states.

Persistent gaps in apprenticeship program awareness, along with cost and capacity barriers, suggest a need for stronger employer support and partnership development.

A new Wisconsin Policy Forum report finds that data bear out the message that fire chiefs and medical directors have been sharing for years — the volunteer service model that largely defined emergency responses for over a century is failing.

Wisconsin has seen an ongoing decline in the number of students enrolled in its school districts, but the numbers of schools and their staffing levels have not followed the same path.

After years of major budget shifts linked to federal pandemic funding and referenda, the Madison Metropolitan School District’s 2027 budget proposal is marked by stability, with brisk spending growth but few major changes.