City comparison
Kenosha, WI is about 90 miles (150 km) from Madison, WI in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 100 miles, or about 1 h 45 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Kenosha, WI to Madison, WI takes about 10 min, covering roughly 90 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Madison has a population of 268,516, vs 99,493 in Kenosha — about 2.7× larger by population. By land area, Madison covers about 84 sq mi vs 29 sq mi for Kenosha.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Kenosha | Madison | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,079/mo | $1,291/mo | 19.6% higher in Madison |
| Median home value | $194,400 | $326,600 | 68.0% higher in Madison |
| Median household income | $64,963 | $74,895 | 15.3% higher in Madison |
| Groceries index | 105.3 | 94.0 | 12.0% higher in Kenosha |
| Utilities index | 86.4 | 90.0 | 4.2% higher in Madison |
| Transportation index | 100.0 | 99.2 | 0.8% higher in Kenosha |
| Healthcare index | 100.2 | 99.4 | 0.8% higher in Kenosha |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Kenosha, you'd need $100,328 in Madison to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Kenosha and Madison have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 5% higher in Madison than in Kenosha. If you earn $80,000 in Kenosha, you'd need about $80,263 in Madison to keep the same standard of living.