Jobs, pay and daily life in Kenosha, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Kenosha is a city in Wisconsin with 99,372 residents. The median household earns $71,239 a year and the median rent is $1,186 a month, which is 20.0% of the median household income. It is part of the Kenosha, WI metropolitan area, where BLS counts 75,450 jobs.
How Kenosha compares. Among the 80 largest places in Wisconsin, Kenosha is #4 by population, #70 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #64 for remote work (#1 = most), #59 for homeownership (#1 = highest). Its county, Kenosha County, is #13 of 72 counties for average pay ($58,409).
Kenosha has 99,372 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 1.7% of the population of Wisconsin. It covers 29 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 3,419 people per square mile. The median age is 37.1, 8% younger than the state median (37.1 against 40.2).
The median gross rent is $1,186 a month (rent plus utilities), 9% above the state median ($1,186 against $1,087). Over a year that is 20.0% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $225,200, which is 3.2 times the median household income ($71,239); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 58.7% of households own their home, 13% below the state average (58.7% against 67.8%).
The Kenosha, WI metropolitan area has 75,450 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $48,310 a year, 5% below the national median ($48,310 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are transportation and material moving (14,040 jobs, median $46,990); office and administrative support (7,790 jobs, median $48,160); sales and related (6,810 jobs, median $36,730). The area is most specialised in transportation and material moving (2.1 times) and production (1.6 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are office and administrative support ($48,160) and production ($47,440). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Kenosha County was 3.0%. 68.0% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Kenosha County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 78.7% drive alone, 0.9% use public transit, 1.3% walk, 9.7% work from home. 13.6% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 33% above the state average (13.6% against 10.2%).
29.0% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 13% below the state share (29.0% against 33.4%). 9.0% of residents were born outside the United States, 73% above the state share (9.0% against 5.2%). The poverty rate is 13.7%, 30% above the state rate (13.7% against 10.6%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 73°F (22.8°C), and the coolest is Jan at 21°F (-6.1°C). About 971 mm (38 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (123 mm) and Jan the driest (42 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Pleasant Prairie (4 miles, rent 23% higher); Mount Pleasant (8 miles, rent 5% lower); Zion (9 miles, similar rent); Racine (10 miles, rent 13% lower). Rent differences are against Kenosha; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Wisconsin (285) →State guide: WisconsinCountry guideKenosha CountyWisconsin rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 285 federal postings open in Wisconsin (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Wisconsin →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 5,420 | 3.78 | $46,990 | $36,920 | $58,320 | +17% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 2,530 | 1.84 | $46,030 | $30,080 | $60,570 | +23% |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,280 | 1.21 | $33,580 | $24,100 | $47,050 | -5% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 2,120 | 1.13 | $29,070 | $22,570 | $35,710 | -7% |
| Cashiers | 1,870 | 1.24 | $32,380 | $23,710 | $38,130 | -2% |
| Registered Nurses | 1,730 | 1.05 | $83,110 | $76,960 | $100,430 | -15% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,540 | 0.74 | $36,980 | $27,840 | $38,080 | +3% |
| Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | 1,300 | 3.46 | $58,110 | $40,050 | $62,940 | +25% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,260 | 1.26 | $61,610 | $46,470 | $77,840 | +5% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,120 | 1.05 | $37,500 | $29,600 | $52,130 | +2% |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,090 | 0.91 | $46,220 | $30,480 | $62,860 | +3% |
| Packers and Packagers, Hand | 1,040 | 3.84 | $37,810 | $30,800 | $46,530 | +4% |
| Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks | 1,040 | 2.62 | $47,880 | $36,650 | $59,910 | +6% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,000 | 0.79 | $48,360 | $33,360 | $61,930 | +8% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 960 | 0.87 | $29,480 | $17,160 | $61,830 | -16% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 900 | 1.49 | $75,580 | $38,780 | $140,600 | +5% |
| General and Operations Managers | 840 | 0.49 | $106,310 | $56,330 | $241,520 | +1% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 840 | 1.13 | $58,740 | $31,640 | $78,400 | +18% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 810 | 1.19 | $43,650 | $35,280 | $57,700 | -2% |
| Receptionists and Information Clerks | 750 | 1.69 | $42,900 | $30,210 | $48,370 | +13% |
These figures are for the whole Kenosha, WI metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $48,310 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.0% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 22.1% |
| Manufacturing | 17.8% |
| Retail trade | 15.2% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 8.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 7.8% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 7.0% |
| Construction | 4.2% |
| Other services | 4.1% |
| Public administration | 3.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 3.8% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 3.8% |
| Information | 1.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.9% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Kenosha lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenosha County | 168,438 | $10,428 million | $61,907 | 74,313 | 4,341 | $58,409 | +2.1% | 3.0% | 97,124 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 9,736 | 16.1% | $58,489 | 0.91 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 9,678 | 16.0% | $49,674 | 3.08 |
| Manufacturing | 9,553 | 15.8% | $72,502 | 1.56 |
| Retail trade | 8,718 | 14.4% | $36,587 | 1.17 |
| Accommodation and food services | 6,455 | 10.7% | $21,148 | 0.96 |
| Administrative and waste services | 4,810 | 7.9% | $40,215 | 1.10 |
| Management of companies | 2,738 | 4.5% | $190,476 | 2.19 |
| Construction | 2,212 | 3.6% | $69,329 | 0.57 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,668 | 2.8% | $37,041 | 0.75 |
| Professional and technical services | 1,373 | 2.3% | $78,009 | 0.27 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 1,102 | 1.8% | $22,068 | 0.88 |
| Educational services | 972 | 1.6% | $45,203 | 0.63 |
| Finance and insurance | 845 | 1.4% | $83,566 | 0.28 |
| Real estate and rental | 572 | 0.9% | $54,944 | 0.50 |
| Information | 173 | 0.3% | $76,575 | 0.12 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 78.7% |
| Public transit | 0.9% |
| Walk | 1.3% |
| Work from home | 9.7% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 13.6% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $71,239 |
| Income per person | $37,709 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,186 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 20.0% |
| Median home value | $225,200 |
| Homeowners | 58.7% |
| Poverty rate | 13.7% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 101.1 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $48,310 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 7.65%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 37.1 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 90.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 29.0% |
| Born abroad | 9.0% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 68.0% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -6.1 | 21 | 42 |
| Feb | -4.8 | 23 | 46 |
| Mar | 1.7 | 35 | 62 |
| Apr | 7.7 | 46 | 92 |
| May | 13.8 | 57 | 113 |
| Jun | 19.6 | 67 | 123 |
| Jul | 22.8 | 73 | 100 |
| Aug | 22.1 | 72 | 104 |
| Sep | 18.0 | 64 | 94 |
| Oct | 10.4 | 51 | 83 |
| Nov | 3.5 | 38 | 57 |
| Dec | -3.0 | 27 | 55 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pleasant Prairie | WI | 4 mi | 21,669 | $103,902 | $1,458 |
| Mount Pleasant | WI | 8 mi | 27,953 | $91,616 | $1,127 |
| Zion | IL | 9 mi | 24,600 | $63,104 | $1,186 |
| Racine | WI | 10 mi | 77,633 | $57,740 | $1,033 |
| Salem Lakes | WI | 13 mi | 14,366 | $94,819 | $1,184 |
| Caledonia | WI | 15 mi | 25,257 | $93,152 | $1,141 |
| Waukegan | IL | 15 mi | 89,076 | $71,919 | $1,205 |
| Gurnee | IL | 15 mi | 30,510 | $119,628 | $1,655 |
| Round Lake Beach | IL | 17 mi | 27,079 | $86,059 | $1,543 |
| North Chicago | IL | 19 mi | 30,643 | $60,172 | $1,426 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
99,372 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,186 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 20.0% of the median household income.
$71,239 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.0% (BLS county, Kenosha County (latest month 2026M09)).
Wisconsin. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.