What it's like to live in Kenosha
Kenosha is a smaller city in Wisconsin with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Kenosha deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, cold winters, snowy winters, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 36" per year
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Kenosha compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Kenosha
Based on Kenosha's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,372
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $47,440 a year
- 47% of Kenosha renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$45,040
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $22,520
- Homes cost 3.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 16% below US
$1,186/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,186 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $225,200. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $225,200 · 47% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 16% below US
3.6% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.6%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
SafetyNear US average
324 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 739/100k · Kenosha Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.6 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 10% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 19°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 3.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 19% below US
29% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 29%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
37 public schools inside the boundary
There are 37 public schools inside the boundary and 7 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Pullman National Historical Park (63 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Kenosha's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,186/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Kenosha
All Wisconsin guides →Moving to Pleasant Prairie →
4 mi away · pop. 21,669
Rent $1,458/mo · Income $103,902
Compare with Kenosha →Moving to Mount Pleasant →
9 mi away · pop. 27,953
Rent $1,127/mo · Income $91,616
Compare with Kenosha →Not sure Kenosha is the one?
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