Kenosha, WI vs Racine, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Racine, WI spends 26% more per resident than Kenosha, WI: $24,108 against $19,120. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Kenosha, WI edges Racine, WI on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 72/100 (grade B) to 70/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: police leads in Kenosha, WI at $2,544 per resident and in Racine, WI at $2,604.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 27% of total revenue in Kenosha, WI and 15% in Racine, WI.
Summary
Racine spends 20.7% more per capita than Kenosha ($4,988/person difference). Kenosha, WI has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 72/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $261 |
| Sales Tax | $477 | $174 |
| Income Tax | $19 | $23 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,020 | $3,150 |
| Other | $1,853 | $1,587 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,544 | $2,604 |
| Fire Protection | $374 | $471 |
| Highways & Roads | $330 | $463 |
| Public Welfare | $0 | $1,459 |
| Health | $259 | $392 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1 |
| Parks & Recreation | $663 | $555 |
| Housing | $2,466 | $4,227 |
| Utilities | $4,909 | $2,406 |
| Other | $7,574 | $11,532 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.