City comparison
Kenosha, WI is about 30 miles (50 km) from Milwaukee, WI in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 40 miles, or about 41 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 Milwaukee, WI takes about 4 min, covering roughly 30 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.
Milwaukee has a population of 573,299, vs 99,493 in Kenosha — about 5.8× larger by population. By land area, Milwaukee covers about 96 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 | Milwaukee | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,079/mo | $982/mo | 9.9% higher in Kenosha |
| Median home value | $194,400 | $157,800 | 23.2% higher in Kenosha |
| Median household income | $64,963 | $49,733 | 30.6% higher in Kenosha |
| Groceries index | 105.3 | 94.0 | 12.0% higher in Kenosha |
| Utilities index | 86.4 | 91.6 | 6.0% higher in Milwaukee |
| 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 $98,492 in Milwaukee to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Milwaukee, WI is about 1.5% cheaper overall than Kenosha, WI, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Kenosha, you'd need about $78,794 in Milwaukee to keep the same standard of living.