Kenosha cost of living
Prices in the Kenosha, WI metro area run at 101.1 against a national average of 100, ranking it #66 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 95.8.
What drives the number
Kenosha sits at 101.1, which is as close to the national average as this series gets. Places at the average are rarer than people assume, and it means a dollar here goes about as far as a dollar anywhere. Against Wisconsin as a whole it is 7 points more expensive, which is the usual direction: cities cost more than the states around them.
The parts move together here rather than pulling against each other: goods at 106.2, rents at 95.8, other services at 85.9. That is less common than it sounds. In most places rents sit well away from the other two, and the overall figure is really a housing figure in disguise. Goods at 106.2 are themselves 6.2 points off national, which is a wide gap for a category that is mostly shipped in.
A salary offer here is worth less than the same offer somewhere at 100, and the parity is the arithmetic that says by how much. Divide the offer by 101.1 and multiply by 100 to get the nationally comparable figure.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Kenosha is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 5,100 | $48,480 | $47,953 | $38,940 |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,190 | $31,380 | $31,039 | $34,580 |
| Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | 2,090 | $45,490 | $44,995 | $46,390 |
| Cashiers | 2,020 | $30,010 | $29,683 | $31,190 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,840 | $40,440 | $40,000 | $37,090 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,830 | $29,060 | $28,744 | $30,480 |
| Registered Nurses | 1,560 | $84,500 | $83,581 | $93,600 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,520 | $34,450 | $34,075 | $34,900 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 101.1.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | 104.8 | 111.8 | #31 |
| Madison | 97.3 | 99.7 | #123 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | 96.9 | 97.1 | #130 |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant | 96.0 | 92.0 | #145 |
| Sheboygan | 94.0 | 80.5 | #181 |
| Janesville-Beloit | 93.7 | 79.6 | #190 |
Kenosha: common questions
Is Kenosha expensive?
Prices are 1.1% above the national average, a parity of 101.1 where the country is 100. It ranks #66 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against Wisconsin as a whole it is 7 points more expensive.
What salary do you need in Kenosha?
The median worker there earns $47,590, which buys what $47,072 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 95.8 against goods at 106.2. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.