Sales tax in Waukesha County, Wisconsin
There is no single sales tax rate in Waukesha County. It runs from 5% to 7% depending on the exact address, because cities and special districts inside the county levy their own on top of the 5% state rate. The 5% state rate applies everywhere in the county; everything above that depends on where you are standing. These rates were read from Wisconsin's own published schedule and checked on September 9, 2026.
What is the sales tax rate in Waukesha County?
| Wisconsin state rate | 5% |
|---|---|
| Lowest combined rate in the county | 5% |
| Highest combined rate in the county | 7% |
The combined figures are the lowest and highest totals anywhere in Waukesha County, so the rows above do not add up to them.
How much sales tax is that on a purchase in Waukesha County?
At 5%, a $100 purchase carries $5.00 in sales tax and a $1,000 purchase $50.00, at the lowest rate in the county. At the highest, 7%, the same purchases carry $7.00 and $70.00. That is general merchandise; Wisconsin taxes some categories, often groceries, differently, as the note below explains.
Waukesha County's lowest rate is the lowest in Wisconsin, shared with 1 other county. See every Wisconsin county.
Sales tax in counties next to Waukesha County
Waukesha County borders 7 counties.
| County | Combined sales tax |
|---|---|
| Milwaukee County, WI | 5.9% to 7.9% |
| Dodge County, WI | 5.5% |
| Jefferson County, WI | 5.5% |
| Ozaukee County, WI | 5.5% |
| Racine County, WI | 5.5% |
| Walworth County, WI | 5.5% |
| Washington County, WI | 5.5% to 7.5% |
| Waukesha County, WI (this county) | 5% to 7% |
Why the rate here is not the whole story
Wisconsin's state sales and use tax is 5 percent and Waukesha County has not adopted the 0.5 percent county sales and use tax, so its county rate is a confirmed zero and almost every address in the county pays the 5 percent state rate alone. The ceiling of 7 percent comes from one place only: the city of Milwaukee reaches into Waukesha County, and the 2 percent city of Milwaukee sales and use tax effective January 1, 2024 applies in that small part, which is why the Department's rate chart prints a city of Milwaukee row under this county. Treat 7 percent as that sliver rather than as a countywide possibility. Groceries are mostly untaxed here: Wisconsin exempts all food and food ingredients except candy, dietary supplements, prepared food and soft drinks, so a normal grocery receipt carries no sales tax at any of these rates. No stadium district tax is in effect anywhere in Wisconsin. The Brown County football stadium tax ended September 30, 2015 and the professional baseball park district tax ended March 31, 2020, and the Department's current rate chart and rate and boundary files list no district tax other than the Milwaukee County local exposition taxes on lodging, prepared food and beverages and short term car rentals, which are separate taxes on certain sellers.
How do I find the exact rate for an address in Waukesha County?
Use Wisconsin's own address lookup. In Waukesha County the rate depends on the address, anywhere from 5% to 7%.
Who has to collect sales tax in Waukesha County?
Any seller with a physical presence in Wisconsin collects at the rate for the address of the sale; a remote seller does once it passes Wisconsin's economic nexus threshold. Wisconsin sales tax covers the statewide rules and what is exempt.
Work out your own numbers
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Sales tax calculator
Tax on a specific purchase at this county's rate, and the total you will actually pay.
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Do you have to collect?
Whether your sales into Wisconsin cross its economic nexus threshold. A different question from the rate.
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Property tax in Waukesha County
The other local tax: effective rate and median bill for this county.
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Sales tax by county
Every US county, and how Wisconsin compares with the rest of the country.
Sources
- Waukesha County rates: Wisconsin Department of Revenue, Tax Rates common questions, Sales Tax Rate Chart of state, county and city sales and use tax rates with adoption dates, guidance document 100047 dated January 16, 2026, https://www.revenue.wi.gov/Pages/FAQS/pcs-taxrates.aspx#txrate11, cross checked against the Department's County and City Sales and Use Taxes page, guidance document 100112 dated February 11, 2026, the Department's Premier Resort Area Tax page and Publication 403, Publication 201 and Publication 220, and per address results returned by the Department's Wisconsin State and Local Sales Tax Rate Lookup at https://www.revenue.wi.gov/Pages/Apps/strb.aspx
- Collected and verified September 9, 2026. Confidence: P on the rate components, S on the range (P read on a primary agency page, S strong but indirect, U unverified).