Cost of Living in Kenosha
Kenosha's cost of living runs genuinely moderate relative to nearby Chicago and Lake County, Illinois, anchored by real, below-national-average home values and homeowners insurance -- though a property tax rate above the national median and a real, sharper-than-typical rent increase complicate a simple affordability headline.
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Learn moreA Genuinely Moderate Home-Value Base Relative to Chicago
As detailed on the housing-market topic page, Kenosha city's own average Zillow home value ran $273,053 as of March 2026 -- genuinely more moderate than comparable Chicago-area and Lake County, Illinois markets, even as it rose a real 5.8% year-over-year, a real relocation draw for movers priced out of the Chicago metro itself.
A Real, Sharper-Than-Typical Rent Increase Worth Budgeting For
As detailed on the renting topic page, Kenosha's overall average apartment rent ran $1,382/month as of July 2026, up a real, meaningfully sharp 5.2% year-over-year -- a genuinely steeper increase than several other Tier A+ markets in this project's dataset, worth budgeting for directly.
A Local Property Tax Rate That Runs Above the National Median
As detailed on the property-taxes topic page, Kenosha's own effective property tax rate ran approximately 1.62% (per Ownwell) -- genuinely above the national median of approximately 1.02%, consistent with Wisconsin's own real, disclosed statewide high-property-tax pattern -- a real, disclosed cost movers should budget for directly.
A Genuinely Low Average Homeowners Insurance Premium
As detailed on the homeowners-insurance topic page, Kenosha's own average annual premium ran a real, genuinely low approximately $1,658/year (Insure.com) -- a real $924 below the national average of approximately $2,582.
Wisconsin's Simpler Income Tax Layer
As detailed on the taxes topic page, Wisconsin's real 4-bracket state income tax (3.50%-7.65%) applies here, with NO local or county piggyback layer -- a genuinely simpler tax picture than several other Tier A+ markets built elsewhere in this project, where local income tax adds real additional complexity.
Key takeaways
- Kenosha's home values ran genuinely more moderate than the Chicago metro, at an average of $273,053 (Zillow, March 2026), up 5.8% year-over-year.
- Rent rose a real, meaningfully sharp 5.2% year-over-year to $1,382/month overall average as of July 2026.
- Kenosha's own property tax rate (~1.62%) runs genuinely above the national median (~1.02%), consistent with Wisconsin's broader disclosed pattern.
- Kenosha's average homeowners insurance premium ran a real, genuinely low ~$1,658/year -- $924 below the national average.
- Wisconsin's 4-bracket state income tax (3.50%-7.65%) carries no local piggyback layer, a genuinely simpler picture than several other markets in this project.
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