Waukesha, WI · Updated Oct 2026

What a Waukesha 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 Waukesha house

$10,112a year · $843 a month

Starts at $363,300 of value before exemptions. Typical use.

Property tax$4,875
1.342% of $363,300
Electricity and gas$2,549
660 kWh a month $1,732 · 72.1 therms $817
Water and sewer$2,522
7,000 gallons a month on Waukesha Water Utility: water $97, sewer $113 a month
Trash$165
Garbage and recycling service (flat annual charge per household unit), $14 a month
Home insuranceNot included
We don't have a typical premium for this city yet. Add yours with Adjust.

A typical Waukesha house costs about $10,100 a year: $4,880 property tax and charges, $2,520 water and sewer, $170 trash, $2,550 electricity and gas; home insurance is not included (no typical premium yet). Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.

Rates checked Oct 30, 2026. Insurance: what you enter, or a typical premium until you do. Sources are listed at the bottom.

Ways to pay less

One change saves this house about $191 a year:

Bring water use down to 4 units
$191 a year
Above 4 units a month, Waukesha Water Utility charges $13.85 a unit instead of $10.67.
How: Most of the top tier is outdoor watering: fix leaks and water less often in summer.

Worth checking

$100 toilet rebate$100 rebate
In 2025, the Utility issued $100 toilet rebates for residential and large multi-families.
How: Waukesha Water Utility rebate program.
$25 shower head rebate$25 rebate
Customers who replace their 1992 or older shower head with a high-efficiency WaterSense shower head are eligible for a $25 rebate.
How: Waukesha Water Utility rebate program.
Private garbage service: no city charge
Properties that receive private service will not see the special charge on their property tax bill.
How: See the city's garbage and recycling special charge page.

Money dates

November 6, 2026tomorrowPay the garbage and recycling charge at City Hall by this date; otherwise it is added to the property tax bill.

Who serves this house

Water: Waukesha Water Utility; Water use is billed per 1,000 gallons at a higher rate for the gallons above the first block.
Property tax: 1.34% of value; 2025 tax year, City of Waukesha in the Waukesha School District
Garbage: City of Waukesha (John's Disposal); Annual special charge for garbage and recycling
Sewer: Waukesha Water Utility; Wastewater use and service on the same bill
Electricity and gas: We Energies; Residents receive electricity and gas from We Energies

Pay or manage your bills

Your water

Source: In October 2023, Waukesha Water Utility transitioned its water source from groundwater to 100% Lake Michigan water.

Other WI cities

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How these numbers are made

Property tax uses the county's 2025 rates for the City of Waukesha in the Waukesha School District: city 7.79, county 1.30, technical college 0.25 and school 5.12 less the 1.04 state credit, per $1,000 (net 13.42), on the 2025 median assessed value of improved single-family homes.
Water: $20.00 water service plus $15.01 public fire protection a month, per-1,000-gallon use rates of $7.98 up to 3,333 gallons a month and $10.36 above.
Sewer: $7.22 a month plus $10.94 wastewater use and $4.83 return flow per 1,000 gallons of water used.
Garbage and recycling is a $165 yearly special charge, shown here as $13.75 a month, and is counted once as part of the tax bill.
Electric and gas use the We Energies Rg1 and Rg-1 rates as in the Milwaukee page. Waukesha has no separate city stormwater utility fee on the water bill.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How Waukesha compares

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

Per year	Waukesha	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	1.34%	1.54%	lower than 32 of the other 45 Wisconsin cities we cover
Water	$1,162	$461	higher than 46 of the other 46 Wisconsin cities we cover
Sewer and utility-bill fees	$1,361	$687	higher than 46 of the other 46 Wisconsin cities we cover
Trash	$165	$199	lower than 21 of the other 30 Wisconsin cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$2,549	$1,905	higher than 39 of the other 46 Wisconsin cities we cover
Total	$10,112	$7,415	higher than 43 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. Water

The fact: Water here costs about $1,162 a year at typical use, higher than 46 of the other 46 Wisconsin cities we cover.

Ask: "Water here costs about $1,162 a year at typical use, higher than 46 of the other 46 Wisconsin cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

2. Sewer and utility-bill fees

The fact: Sewer and flat utility-bill charges here come to about $1,361 a year, higher than 46 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 $1,361 a year, higher than 46 of the other 46 Wisconsin cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

3. Electricity and gas

The fact: Electricity and gas for a typical house here cost about $2,549 a year, higher than 39 of the other 46 Wisconsin cities we cover. Rates are set mostly by the utility and the state.

Ask: "Electricity and gas here cost about $2,549 a year for a typical house, higher than 39 of the other 46 Wisconsin cities we cover. Which parts of that can the city influence, and what would you do about them?"

Common questions about Waukesha house costs

What is the property tax rate in Waukesha?

About 1.34% of the value before exemptions a year (2025 tax year, City of Waukesha in the Waukesha School District), plus flat charges on the same bill.

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

About $6,710 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions.

How much is the water bill in Waukesha?

About $210 a month for water and sewer at typical use (7,000 gallons a month) on Waukesha Water Utility.

How much does trash pickup cost in Waukesha?

$14 a month for a house.

Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Waukesha?

Yes. $25 shower head rebate: Customers who replace their 1992 or older shower head with a high-efficiency WaterSense shower head are eligible for a $25 rebate.

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

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