South Milwaukee, WI · Updated Oct 2026

What a South Milwaukee home costs each year

Property tax, water, trash and energy from public rates. Look up your address to make it yours, and see how to pay less.

Suggestions as you type come from Google; the lookup uses free public map services to find who serves it. Not stored unless you save your house.

Example · a South Milwaukee house

$8,320a year · $693 a month

Starts at the typical market value, $235,700; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.

Property tax$4,627
1.963% of $235,700
Flat charges on the tax bill$215
Recycling and household hazardous waste $96 · Storm water utility $118
Electricity$1,732
660 kWh a month $1,732
Water and sewer$1,747
9 units (CCF) a month on South Milwaukee Water Utility: water $63, sewer $70, public fire protection (5/8 or 3/4 inch meter) $13 a month
TrashIncluded
Garbage collection is in the Street Department's General Fund budget (2024 budget).
Home insuranceNot included
We don't have a typical premium for this city yet. Add yours with Adjust.

A South Milwaukee house at the typical market value ($235,700) costs about $8,300 a year: $4,840 property tax and charges, $1,750 water and sewer, $1,730 electricity; trash is paid through property tax, and home insurance is not included (no typical premium yet). Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.

Rates checked Oct 31, 2026. Insurance: what you enter, or a typical premium until you do. Sources are listed at the bottom.

Ways to pay less

Nothing here applies to every house automatically. These are worth checking:

Lottery and Gaming Credit: apply by January 31
Owners of the property on January 1 who used it as their primary residence can apply by January 31 if the credit is missing from the tax bill.
How: File with the City Treasurer's Office.
Big water bill from a leak? Ask for an adjustment
The Water/Wastewater Commission is able to review requests for a one-time adjustment to a water/sewer bill in cases of an undetected leak.
How: Read the Water and Sewer Bill Adjustment Policy on the Common Questions page.
Free monthly bulk pickup
Starting July 1st, 2026, residents may schedule one bulk items collection per month at no charge.
How: Call Johns Disposal at 262-473-4700 to schedule.

Money dates

January 31in 87 daysFull payment of real estate taxes plus special charges is due on or before January 31, or the first installment if paying in installments.
April 30 and July 31Second installment is due April 30 and the third (final) installment July 31.
20th of the billing monthWater and sewer payment is due by the 20th of the billing month; a one-time 3% penalty applies to unpaid current billing balance.

Who serves this house

Water: South Milwaukee Water Utility; Rates effective 7/28/25; usage is charged per 100 cubic feet (748 gal).
Property tax: 1.96% of value; 2025 tax year, City of South Milwaukee (Milwaukee County)
Garbage: Johns Disposal Service Inc; Collects garbage every week
Sewer: South Milwaukee Water Utility; Water and sewer bills are issued by the utility
Electricity: We Energies; Schedule Rg1

Pay or manage your bills

Other WI cities

Milwaukee home costs Waukesha home costs Oshkosh home costs Brookfield home costs Wausau home costs Oak Creek home costs Muskego home costs De Pere home costs Howard home costs Pleasant Prairie home costs Germantown home costs Oconomowoc home costs Marshfield home costs Fox Crossing home costs Menasha home costs Kaukauna home costs Ashwaubenon home costs Weston home costs Glendale home costs Shorewood home costs Greenville home costs Allouez home costs Suamico home costs Stoughton home costs Sussex home costs Grafton home costs Brown Deer home costs Oregon home costs Waupun home costs Monroe home costs New Richmond home costs Windsor home costs Green Bay home costs Madison home costs Sheboygan home costs New Berlin home costs Beloit home costs Stevens Point home costs River Falls home costs Beaver Dam home costs Cudahy home costs Pewaukee home costs Two Rivers home costs Hartland home costs Reedsburg home costs Appleton home costs Shawano home costs Portage home costs Delavan home costs Cottage Grove home costs McFarland home costs Plymouth home costs Mukwonago home costs Rhinelander home costs Jackson home costs Antigo home costs Hales Corners home costs Jefferson home costs Kimberly home costs Rib Mountain home costs Delafield home costs New London home costs Waupaca home costs Waterford home costs Milton home costs Berlin home costs Dodgeville home costs East Troy home costs Fox Point home costs Elm Grove home costs Evansville home costs Columbus home costs

How these numbers are made

Property tax uses the 2025 net rate of $19.63 per $1,000 (Milwaukee County table) on the Census median value of $235,700; the rate already includes MMSD and the state credit. Wisconsin has no homestead exemption.
Water and sewer are billed every 4 months; fixed charges are divided by 4 to a monthly figure: water $50.00, sewer $37.90, public fire protection $51.20. The page bills usage per 100 cubic feet (ccf): water $5.62, sewer $6.69.
Recycling/HHW $96.42 and stormwater $118.44 are yearly charges on the tax bill. Garbage collection has no fee on the list of single-family special charges and is shown as $0.
Electric adds the three per-kWh Rg1 charges; daily customer charge annualised. Gas uses the We Energies Wisconsin Electric Gas Operations Rg-1 rate effective Nov 1, 2026 (daily customer charge $0.33 annualised; $0.8054 per therm); the We Energies gas territory map places South Milwaukee in the Wisconsin Electric Gas Operations pooling area.
Gas omitted: no official page names South Milwaukee in We Energies gas territory (WEGO vs Wisconsin Gas map is interactive).
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How South Milwaukee compares

A typical South Milwaukee house against the 47 Wisconsin cities we cover, using the same default numbers as the total above.

Per year	South Milwaukee	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	1.96%	1.54%	higher than 41 of the other 45 Wisconsin cities we cover
Water	$757	$461	higher than 37 of the other 46 Wisconsin cities we cover
Sewer and utility-bill fees	$990	$687	higher than 40 of the other 46 Wisconsin cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$1,732	$1,905	lower than 27 of the other 46 Wisconsin cities we cover
Total	$8,320	$7,415	higher than 30 of the other 46 Wisconsin cities we cover

Cities bill differently (some put trash on the tax bill, some cover more services), so a higher number isn't necessarily worse. The property tax rate is compared instead of dollars because house values differ.

Questions to ask your candidates

Each one starts from a number above. Any candidate can answer them.

1. Property tax rate

The fact: South Milwaukee's property tax rate is 1.96%, higher than 41 of the other 45 Wisconsin cities we cover. The rate adds up every agency on the bill, not only the city.

Ask: "Property tax in South Milwaukee is 1.96%, higher than 41 of the other 45 Wisconsin cities we cover. What should that money pay for first, and would you change anything about how it is set?"

2. Water

The fact: Water here costs about $757 a year at typical use, higher than 37 of the other 46 Wisconsin cities we cover.

Ask: "Water here costs about $757 a year at typical use, higher than 37 of the other 46 Wisconsin cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

3. Sewer and utility-bill fees

The fact: Sewer and flat utility-bill charges here come to about $990 a year, higher than 40 of the other 46 Wisconsin cities we cover. Some cities bill sewer on the property tax bill instead, which is not counted here.

Ask: "Sewer and flat utility-bill charges here cost about $990 a year, higher than 40 of the other 46 Wisconsin cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

Common questions about South Milwaukee house costs

What is the property tax rate in South Milwaukee?

About 1.96% of the value before exemptions a year (2025 tax year, City of South Milwaukee (Milwaukee County)), plus flat charges on the same bill (Recycling and household hazardous waste $96, Storm water utility $118).

How much is property tax on a $500,000 house in South Milwaukee?

About $10,030 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions, including $215 of flat charges.

How much is the water bill in South Milwaukee?

About $146 a month for water and sewer at typical use (9 units, or 6,732 gallons a month) on South Milwaukee Water Utility.

How much does trash pickup cost in South Milwaukee?

Garbage collection is in the Street Department's General Fund budget (2024 budget).

When is property tax due in South Milwaukee?

January 31: Full payment of real estate taxes plus special charges is due on or before January 31, or the first installment if paying in installments. April 30 and July 31: Second installment is due April 30 and the third (final) installment July 31.

How much does a house in South Milwaukee cost to run each year?

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