What it's like to live in Salem Lakes
Salem Lakes is a small city in Wisconsin with rent below the national average, county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above 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. Salem Lakes deals with commute times longer than most cities, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, cold, harsh winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Low unemployment in the county
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 43" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Salem Lakes compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Salem Lakes
Based on Salem Lakes's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,368
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $47,360 a year
- 44% of Salem Lakes renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$63,220
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $31,610
- Homes cost 3.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 16% below US
$1,184/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,184 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $316,100. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $316,100 · 44% 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
182 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Salem Lakes doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Kenosha County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 888/100k · Policed by Kenosha County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 22% above US
32 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 31.6 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 80°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 16°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 25% below US
27% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 27%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, 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 (64 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Salem Lakes's strongest points are rent below the national average and county unemployment below the national average; the main tradeoffs are commute times longer than most cities and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,184/mo) equals 15% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low). It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Salem Lakes
All Wisconsin guides →Moving to Burlington →
12 mi away · pop. 10,987
Rent $999/mo · Income $83,419
Compare with Salem Lakes →Moving to Pleasant Prairie →
12 mi away · pop. 21,669
Rent $1,458/mo · Income $103,902
Compare with Salem Lakes →Moving to Kenosha →
13 mi away · pop. 99,372
Rent $1,186/mo · Income $71,239
Compare with Salem Lakes →Not sure Salem Lakes is the one?
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