Racine, WI vs Kenosha, 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 Racine, WI at $2,604 per resident and in Kenosha, WI at $2,544.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 15% of total revenue in Racine, WI and 27% in Kenosha, WI.
Summary
Racine spends 26.1% 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 | $261 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $174 | $477 |
| Income Tax | $23 | $19 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,150 | $4,020 |
| Other | $1,587 | $1,853 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,604 | $2,544 |
| Fire Protection | $471 | $374 |
| Highways & Roads | $463 | $330 |
| Public Welfare | $1,459 | $0 |
| Health | $392 | $259 |
| Hospitals | $1 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $555 | $663 |
| Housing | $4,227 | $2,466 |
| Utilities | $2,406 | $4,909 |
| Other | $11,532 | $7,574 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.