Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Kenosha, WI?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 27% of gross income.

Kenosha rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Wisconsin state estimate).

Kenosha median rent
$1,649/mo
Police Officer salary (Wisconsin)
$73,407/yr
Rent as % of income
27%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,117, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,835/mo in rent. Kenosha's median rent of $1,649 leaves roughly $186/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 46.7 hours a month to cover that rent.

About rent and a police officer salary

The gap between a police officer's base pay and the rent in the city they patrol is a widely tracked local affordability question. Many large-city departments now publish recruitment materials that include a local-rent comparison, because affordability has become a recruiting issue. At the national-average officer base pay, the 30% rule supports about $1,932 a month in rent. The per-city pages combine local rent with local officer-pay estimates to show where rent stays within that range.

Cheaper rent nearby

These Wisconsin cities have lower median rent than Kenosha, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Brown Deer, WI
$1,647/mo (26.9% of income)
Brown Deer, WI
$1,646/mo (26.9% of income)
Madison, WI
$1,645/mo (26.9% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Kenosha

View full rent data for Kenosha, WI

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Kenosha, WI?

Median rent in Kenosha is $1,649 a month. A typical police officer in Wisconsin earns about $73,407 a year, which makes that rent 27% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Kenosha?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Wisconsin (~$73,407/yr) supports up to $1,835 a month in rent. Kenosha's current median rent is $1,649/mo, which leaves a $186/mo buffer.

How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Kenosha?

At an hourly equivalent of about $35 an hour, a police officer in Wisconsin works roughly 46.7 hours a month to cover Kenosha's median rent of $1,649.

Where is rent cheaper than Kenosha for a police officer?

Nearby Wisconsin cities with lower median rent include Brown Deer ($1,647/mo), Brown Deer ($1,646/mo), Madison ($1,645/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

Methodology: Salary uses the BLS-derived Wisconsin state estimate from OEWS May 2024. Rent is the most recent ZORI monthly value for Kenosha, WI. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.