Moving to
Pleasant Prairie.

All Pleasant Prairie data Compare Pleasant Prairie

21,669people live here $103,902median household income▲ 29% above US $1,458median rent per monthNear US average $360,400median home valueNear US average

What it's like to live in Pleasant Prairie

Pleasant Prairie is a small city in Wisconsin with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Pleasant Prairie deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, cold winters, snowy winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.

The good

Low unemployment in the county
Higher-than-average incomes
Low crime rates
Highly educated workforce
Average class sizes

The not so good

Air quality concerns
Cold winters
Snowy winters — 36" per year
Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
Car-dependent — few commuters use transit

How Pleasant Prairie compares

Median household income

Pleasant Prairie$103,902

Wisconsin avg$77,485

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Pleasant Prairie$1,458

Wisconsin avg$1,087

US$1,413

Median home value

Pleasant Prairie$360,400

Wisconsin avg$266,500

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Pleasant Prairie

Based on Pleasant Prairie's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$2,916

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $58,320 a year
39% of Pleasant Prairie renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$72,080

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $36,040
Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingNear US average

$1,458/mo median rent

Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,458 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $360,400. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.

Median home value $360,400 · 39% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

3.4% county unemployment

Unemployment in Kenosha County is 3.4%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Kenosha County (county-wide)

Safety▼ 38% below US

205 violent crimes per 100k

Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.

Property crime 1176/100k · Pleasant Prairie Police Department · 2025 data

Getting aroundNear US average

25 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 24.9 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

80%

Work from home

13%

Carpool

4.6%

Walk

2.1%

Other

0.6%

Public transit

0.1%

Climate

Summers are comfortable, with highs around 77°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 20°F.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 13% above US

41% bachelor's degree or higher

The population is well-educated, with 41% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.

Schools

4 public schools inside the boundary

There are 4 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Pullman National Historical Park (59 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Pleasant Prairie's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,458/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), anyone prioritizing low crime, and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.

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