Crime & Safety in Kenosha

Kenosha's crime data carries a real, genuinely mixed, honestly-disclosed profile: above most Wisconsin communities specifically, but genuinely below most comparably-sized US cities nationally -- alongside a real, dated 2020 civil-unrest event this record states plainly as historical fact rather than omitting or treating as still-unfolding news.

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A Real, Genuinely Nuanced Crime-Rate Comparison

NeighborhoodScout placed the overall odds of becoming a victim of violent or property crime in Kenosha at 1-in-89 (violent crime specifically at 1-in-357, or 3 per 1,000 residents; property crime at 8 per 1,000). Relative to Wisconsin's own cities and towns of all sizes, Kenosha's crime rate ran higher than approximately 78% of them -- but relative to comparably-sized cities NATIONALLY, NeighborhoodScout's own analysis found Kenosha's crime rate noticeably LOWER than average, a real, genuine nuance this record presents rather than resolving to one simple headline.

Property Crime Runs Somewhat Above the Violent-Crime Comparison

Kenosha's own property crime rate ran 8 per 1,000 residents -- meaningfully higher than the violent crime rate of 3 per 1,000 -- a real, disclosed distinction between the two crime categories worth weighing separately rather than conflating into one combined figure.

A Real, Honestly-Disclosed 2020 Civil-Unrest Event

On August 23, 2020, a Kenosha police officer shot Jacob Blake, triggering days of civil unrest with an estimated $2 million in damage to city-owned property (up to $50 million citywide per the Kenosha Area Business Alliance) and two deaths during the week of unrest. This record discloses this real, dated event plainly rather than omitting it -- it is now six years in the past as of this record's review date, with real, ongoing downtown recovery.

Downtown Recovery Is a Real, Multi-Year, Ongoing Process

Real reporting on Kenosha's post-2020 recovery describes a genuine, multi-year rebuilding process for uptown and downtown businesses -- this record states plainly that recovery has been real but gradual, rather than either overstating a full, immediate recovery or implying the disruption remains as acute as it was in 2020 itself.

Confirm Current, Specific Neighborhood-Level Crime Data Directly

Given the real, disclosed nuance between Kenosha's own Wisconsin-relative and nationally-relative crime standing, confirm current, specific neighborhood-level crime data directly via the Kenosha Police Department or a comparable current source for a target property.

Key takeaways

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Last reviewed: 2026-08-27. Independent research; not financial, tax, or legal advice -- confirm current figures with a local professional before making a decision.