Kenosha, WI
Metro Area Profile
168,438 residents. Jobs, income, development, climate and physical risk across the Kenosha, WI metropolitan area.
How this area ranks
Data updated · 12 sourcesKenosha ranks in the top 6% of metro and micro areas measured for employment opportunity, with unemployment at 3.5% and median household income of $81,239.
In the public schools here, 38% of students met the state standard in mathematics, with 15.0 students for every teacher.
583 housing units were authorized over the past twelve months, within 9% of the prior year — steady rather than turning.
These sentences are written by fixed rules from the measurements below — a statement appears because a number crossed a stated threshold, and the values behind it are stored with it. No figure anywhere on this site is invented, estimated or inferred to fill a gap. How this works.
At a glance
Jobs & opportunity
Unemployment of 3.5%, lower than in 77% of the 835 measured US metro and micro areas.
Employment grew 1.5% over the past year, to 94,355 employed residents.
31% of adults hold a four-year degree, higher than 70% of measured US metro and micro areas.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income ±$2,4622024 ACS 5-Year | $81,239 | Top 16%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income ±$1,0072024 ACS 5-Year | $42,757 | Top 19%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year | 10.0% | Top 22%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average commute ±0.6 min2024 ACS 5-Year | 26.7 min | Bottom 24%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year | 31.2% | Top 30%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Drove alone to work ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year | 78.6% | 62nd percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| EmploymentJuly 2026 | 94,355 | Top 28%of 835 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (3 years)July 2026 | +2.5% | Top 19%of 835 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year)July 2026 | +1.5% | Top 12%of 835 | July 2026 |
| Labor forceJuly 2026 | 97,801 | 72nd percentileof 835 | July 2026 |
| Labor force participation ±0.9%2024 ACS 5-Year | 80.8% | Top 22%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Mean annual wage2025 OEWS | $60,490 | Bottom 48%of 392 | 2025 OEWS |
| Median annual wage2025 OEWS | $48,310 | Top 44%of 392 | 2025 OEWS |
| Metro employment2025 OEWS | 75,450 | 37th percentileof 392 | 2025 OEWS |
| Public transit to work ±0.2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 0.7% | 72nd percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment change (year over year)July 2026 | +0.1% | Bottom 30%of 835 | July 2026 |
| Unemployment rateJuly 2026 | 3.5% | Top 23%of 835 | July 2026 |
| Worked from home ±1.0%2024 ACS 5-Year | 10.7% | 68th percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
Unemployment rate
Largest occupations — Kenosha, WI
| Occupation | People employed | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 5,420 | $46,990 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 2,530 | $46,030 |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,280 | $33,580 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 2,120 | $29,070 |
| Cashiers | 1,870 | $32,380 |
| Registered Nurses | 1,730 | $83,110 |
Searches the 40 largest occupations here that have a published wage.
Occupational employment and wages are published for metropolitan areas rather than for individual cities or ZIP areas, so these describe the wider labor market this location sits in. 2025 OEWS, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
38% of students met the state standard in mathematics and 41% in reading, across the schools here that reported results.
There are 15.0 students for every full-time teacher across 44 public schools, more than in most measured places.
| School | District | Students | Per teacher | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Trail High School and Academy | Kenosha School District | 1,902 | 19.2 | 29% | 35% |
| Bradford High | Kenosha School District | 1,453 | 16.9 | 14% | 26% |
| Tremper High | Kenosha School District | 1,417 | 19.1 | 16% | 28% |
| Central High | Westosha Central UHS School District | 1,309 | 18.7 | 41% | 50% |
| Mahone Middle | Kenosha School District | 1,025 | 15.3 | 42% | 45% |
| Lakeview K-8 Academy | Kenosha School District | 988 | 14.7 | 52% | 57% |
| Salem Elementary | Salem School District | 936 | 14.6 | 47% | 40% |
| Lance Middle | Kenosha School District | 899 | 15.8 | 38% | 41% |
| Wilmot High | Wilmot UHS School District | 840 | 16.2 | 30% | 42% |
| Bristol Elementary | Bristol #1 School District | 830 | 15.4 | 56% | 55% |
| Bullen Middle | Kenosha School District | 754 | 13.2 | 32% | 31% |
| Wheatland Center Elementary | Wheatland J1 School District | 644 | 15.7 | 53% | 53% |
46.8% of students here are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. That describes the circumstances families arrive with, not how the schools perform, so it is shown and not scored.
Public schools only, from the NCES Common Core of Data, placed by ZIP code — which schools are in this place, not which one a particular address is zoned for. A dash in a proficiency column is a gap in the federal file, not a bad result. Proficiency is measured against Wisconsin’s own standard, so it is ranked within state. How to read school figures.
Housing & affordability
How it’s calculated — housing affordability →Prices for everything a household buys run about 1% above the national average — the Bureau of Economic Analysis index reads 100.5, against 100 for the nation. Nationally, housing drives most of the spread between places in this index; other goods vary far less.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s house price index for this area is up 54% over five years, and up 8.4% over the last year. It follows repeat sales of the same homes, so it measures price change rather than which homes happened to sell.
Homeowners here who pay a tax bill pay a median of $4,179 a year in real estate taxes, about 1.57% of the median home value.
HUD’s Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom, set near the 40th percentile of recent new leases, is $1,402, some 15% above the $1,219 tenants already here pay.
At HUD’s Fair Market Rent of $1,402 a month for a two-bedroom, keeping rent to 30% of income takes a household income of about $56,100 a year, about 69% of the median household income here of $81,239.
The typical renter household here spends 29% of its income on rent, below the 30% threshold at which a household is considered cost-burdened. Median gross rent runs $1,219 a month.
A median home at $265,500 costs 2.7 times the median income of its owner-occupied households, $100,116, close to the historic benchmark for an affordable market.
Prices here run about 1% above the national average. The spread between places is driven mostly by housing — goods vary far less — and this excludes taxes.
Price level for all consumption in this metropolitan area against a national average of 100. Housing dominates the spread between places; goods vary far less.
The figures above are measured against Kenosha’s median household income of $81,239, which describes the place rather than you. Enter your own and the ratio is recomputed against it. It stays in this browser.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of living index2023 | 100.5 | Bottom 20%of 386 | 2023 |
| Home price change (1 year)2026 Q2 | +8.4% | 95th percentileof 372 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (5 years)2026 Q2 | +54.4% | 84th percentileof 372 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (10 years)2026 Q2 | +118.6% | 86th percentileof 372 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price to income ±0.12024 ACS 5-Year | 2.7 | Bottom 47%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year | 66.7% | 31st percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units ±752024 ACS 5-Year | 73,678 | 71st percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Market rent, one bedroomFY2026 | $1,092 | Bottom 27%of 818 | FY2026 |
| Market rent, three bedroomFY2026 | $1,899 | Bottom 20%of 818 | FY2026 |
| Market rent, two bedroomFY2026 | $1,402 | Bottom 22%of 818 | FY2026 |
| Median gross rent ±$302024 ACS 5-Year | $1,219 | Bottom 21%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value ±$5,8302024 ACS 5-Year | $265,500 | 67th percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median property taxes ±$932024 ACS 5-Year | $4,179 | 92nd percentileof 933 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Owner household income ±$4,0582024 ACS 5-Year | $100,116 | Top 15%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Property tax rate ±0.05%2024 ACS 5-Year | 1.57% | 90th percentileof 932 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Rent as a share of income ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year | 28.7% | Top 47%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Seasonal and second homes ±3602024 ACS 5-Year | 1,833 | 64th percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Second homes2024 ACS 5-Year | 2.5% | 58th percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacancy rate2024 ACS 5-Year | 4.0% | 6th percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacant housing units ±5902024 ACS 5-Year | 4,774 | 51st percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
These measures come from the same ACS release as the income they are compared with. They compare housing cost with local earnings only: transport, groceries, healthcare, insurance and taxes are not in them. How to read affordability, the two rent figures and the cost-of-living index.
Growth & development
How it’s calculated — growth →Development Momentum
An AreaProfile calculation combining permit volume per resident, its direction over one and three years, population change and employment growth. Permit volume alone is not the measure.
Population has been broadly flat since 2020, at 168,754 in 2024.
At 3.5 permitted units per 1,000 residents, building activity is above the median for measured US metro and micro areas.
Population, annual estimates
Weather & climate
5 of the twelve months have a normal average temperature between 55°F and 80°F. July averages a high of 84°F and January a low of 16°F.
Normal annual precipitation is 31.9 inches.
Precipitation
| Metric | Value | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| Annual precipitation1991-2020 Normals | 31.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low1991-2020 Normals | 16°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average July high1991-2020 Normals | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Comfortable months1991-2020 Normals | 5 | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Seasonal temperature swing1991-2020 Normals | 49°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
Climate figures are thirty-year normals, not current conditions. How to read climate and air quality.
Physical risk
The hazards accounting for most of this area's expected annual loss are cold wave, inland flooding and tornado, with cold wave alone responsible for 39% of it. Cold wave and inland flooding are independently rated low or minimal nationally, so this describes how the loss is composed, not how large those hazards are.
Overall hazard risk is lower than 99% of measured US metro and micro areas.
Low or minimal exposure: cold wave, strong wind, inland flooding, earthquake, drought, ice storm, coastal flooding, wildfire, landslide, winter weather, hurricane, tsunami, volcanic activity, avalanche.
Hazard ratings are AreaProfile calculations derived from the FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0 (December 2025). FEMA publishes at county level. This value is the population-weighted mean of all component counties; expected annual loss is their sum. FEMA does not endorse this presentation. Higher physical resilience means lower exposure.
What this profile does not cover
Each of these is absent for a reason, not by oversight. The Area Score is calculated without them; the weighting is on the methodology page.
- Reported crime
- Offenses reported to police are published by department rather than by town, so AreaProfile shows a rate only on city profiles, and only where that city’s department submitted every month of a year. City profiles inside this area carry their own figure where their department reported a full year. A partial year is never scaled up to look complete, and arrest counts or news volume are never substituted for it.
- Death-certificate rates
- The CDC publishes these rates by county, so a metropolitan area carries none of its own. The county profiles inside it do.
- Air quality
- The EPA publishes an air-quality index by county, and only where a monitor sits, so a metropolitan area carries none of its own. The county profiles inside it show it where one exists.
- Taxes
- Income and sales taxes are not published: no source covers them nationally with a method open enough to check. Property taxes are shown in the housing section but are not part of the score. The cost-of-living index above is a price level for all consumption, not a household budget, and it excludes taxes. Nothing here is individualized tax advice.
- Anything about a specific address
- Every figure describes an area, not a street or a house.
Access
3 major airports lie within 100 miles, the nearest Chicago O'Hare Intl at 42 miles.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadband access ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year | 92.4% | Top 12%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Distance to major airportNASR current cycle | 42 mi | Bottom 47%of 835 | NASR current cycle |
| Major airports within 100 milesNASR current cycle | 3 | Bottom 35%of 835 | NASR current cycle |
| No internet access ±0.8%2024 ACS 5-Year | 5.5% | Top 16%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Airport | Code | Distance | Longest runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago O'Hare Intl | ORD | 42 mi | 11,245 ft |
| Gary/Chicago Intl | GYY | 71 mi | 8,859 ft |
| Dane County Rgnl/Truax Fld | MSN | 83 mi | 9,006 ft |
Airport identity, position and runway data come from the FAA. “Major airport” is an AreaProfile classification — a public-use civil airport with a paved runway of at least 8,000 feet — not an FAA hub designation. Distances are straight-line, not driving distance.
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Similar places
Matched on AreaProfile signals, not geographyData & methodology
| Used for | Source | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Federal Aviation Administration Airports (NASR) — Aeronautical Data Delivery Service | NASR current cycle |
| Physical risk | Federal Emergency Management Agency National Risk Index | National Risk Index December 2025 (v1.20.0) |
| Climate | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Monthly) | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Housing | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional price parities and county personal income | 2023 |
| Jobs | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics | July 2026 |
| Jobs | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics | 2025 OEWS |
| Development | U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Access, Demographics, Housing, Income, Jobs | U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (Table-Based Summary File) | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Demographics | U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program | July 1, 2024 estimate |
| Schools | U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data and EDFacts assessments | 2018-19 school year; 2024-25 school year |
| Housing | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research Fair Market Rents | FY2026 |
| Housing | U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (traditional, all-transactions) | 2026 Q2 |
| Current conditions | NOAA National Weather Service National Weather Service current conditions | Live observation, read when the page opens |
Profile recalculated October 8, 2026. Recalculation is not the same as new source data — each figure above shows the period its source actually covers. Read the full methodology, or every source with how often each updates.