Photo: artistmac · CC BY-SA 2.0Kenosha spent more per resident in 2022 than 71% of similar cities
Kenosha’s city government spent $132.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,349 per resident. Water and other utilities ($21.8 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Kenosha is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,434 per resident in 2022: more than 71% of them
Kenosha’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,434 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 31 Wisconsin cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,282, and the middle half spent $1,153–$1,453. Kenosha spent more than 71% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($18.5 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Wisconsin cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Kenosha itself left out).
About $1,349 per resident a year, or $3.70 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 7% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Kenosha reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,434 · 2023: $1,019 · 2024: $1,349.
full-time in March 2025, up from 725 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,839 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.70% of the home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Kenosha’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Kenosha’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Kenosha →
Who’s in charge in Kenosha
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Kenosha’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on kenosha.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 131 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (98,484).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Westosha Central High School District
Kenosha’s high school district, shared with Bristol, Pleasant Prairie, Somers, Brighton, Paris and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,534 per pupil, $7,742 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Wisconsin districts overall: 39% local, 50% state, 11% federal.
Kenosha School District · $15,060 per pupil
Paris Joint No. 1 School District · $23,663 per pupil
Bristol No. 1 School District · $27,275 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Kenosha voted in 2024
Official results for Kenosha’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat54.4%25,457 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican44.0%20,591 votesOthers: 1.6% (741 votes).
Most votes in Kenosha: Kamala D Harris
Kenosha County: Trump 52.4%, Harris 46.1% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Kenosha’s 71,743 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Kenosha: Tammy Baldwin
Kenosha County: Hovde 50.4%, Baldwin 46.8% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Bryan Steil
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Kenosha, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenosha | 54.4% | 44.0% | 1.6% | 46,789 |
| Kenosha County | 46.1% | 52.4% | 1.5% | 90,680 |
| Wisconsin | 48.7% | 49.6% | 1.7% | 3,422,918 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Kenosha.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: kenosha.org ↗
- 2Wisconsin AssemblyKenosha is split between 3 districts
- 3Wisconsin SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Wisconsin
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Kenosha compares with the towns next door
Kenosha spent $1,434 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $550 to $2,264. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Paris | $550 | $2,762 |
| Somers | $574 | $3,050 |
| Somers | $868 | $4,764 |
| Bristol | $888 | $4,440 |
| Pleasant Prairie | $2,264 | $4,934 |
| Kenosha | $1,434 | $3,839 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Kenosha’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Kenosha’s government
How much does Kenosha spend per resident?
About $1,349 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,434 was more than 71% of 31 Wisconsin cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Kenosha?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,839 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.70% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see kenosha.org.
Who runs Kenosha’s government?
See kenosha.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Kenosha yet.
How did Kenosha vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 54.4%, Donald J Trump 44.0% (46,789 votes, official results). Kenosha County: Trump 52.4%, Harris 46.1%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Kenosha?
754 full-time and 255 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $5.8M (about $69.3M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Kenosha in the state legislature?
Kenosha is split among 3 Assembly districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Wisconsin Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Kenosha’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →