Fiscal Facts

Facing an economic downturn of stunning speed and unknown length, the state of Wisconsin’s finances is much stronger than in 2007, before the last recession.

The rapid rise of online home rentals, such as Airbnb, has brought opportunities for travelers but also challenges for governments seeking to collect taxes.

The well-funded Wisconsin Retirement System could serve as a valuable model for the city and county of Milwaukee pension plans, which must grapple with combined unfunded liabilities that, at the end of 2018, were about $2 billion.

Sharing or consolidating certain municipal functions may help local governments improve public services and possibly save costs, as aging populations, advances in technology, and economic growth increase demands for these services at a time of stagnant state revenues.

From 2013 to 2018, the motor vehicle crash fatality rate for black, non-Hispanic Wisconsinites nearly doubled on an age-adjusted basis, according to data from the federal Centers for Disease Control.

Recent trends in Wisconsin local government library funding suggest they remain a priority even as the way in which libraries serve communities changes.

Wisconsinites are visiting public libraries about as often as they did two decades ago, but the digital revolution has changed how they use libraries.

ACT scores released last fall show the share of Wisconsin high school juniors meeting college readiness benchmarks in 2018-19 was largely down or flat from the previous year.

Total enrollment in Wisconsin public schools declined for the fifth straight year in the 2018-19 school year, while the student population is more diverse.

For the eighth straight year in 2019, Wisconsinites paid a smaller share of their income in state and local taxes, dropping this measure of tax burden to its lowest in a half century.