Property Tax in Kenosha County, Wisconsin
In Kenosha County, Wisconsin, the typical homeowner pays $4,180 a year in property taxes on a home worth a median of $247,800. The figures on this page are the Census Bureau's published medians (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023), shown exactly as released.
What the Kenosha County numbers mean
The median is the midpoint of the county's actual bills: half of Kenosha County homeowners pay more than $4,180 a year and half pay less. The exact bill for any one home depends on its assessed value, exemptions, and which school, municipal and special districts cover it.
Set against the median home value of $247,800, the median bill works out to a derived effective rate of 1.69%. That rate is an estimate computed from the two medians — no county publishes a rate calculated this way — but it adjusts for home prices, which makes comparisons between counties more meaningful.
The key figures for Kenosha County
| Measure | Kenosha County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $4,180 |
| Median home value | $247,800 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.69% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $348 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $1,687 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $6,748 |
For context, the Wisconsin medians are $3,746 of tax on $247,400 of value, and the US medians are $2,969 on $303,400. *Derived figures are estimates from Census medians, not official rates.
Kenosha County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Wisconsin: #7 of 72 counties
- Median home value rank in Wisconsin: #14 of 72
- Population rank in Wisconsin: #8 of 72 (168,413 residents)
- Population density rank: #3 of 72 (620 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Wisconsin: #69 of 72 (271 sq mi, 0.5% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $348; per $1,000 of home value: $1.69
How Kenosha County compares
Set against its state, Kenosha County's median bill of $4,180 is about 12% higher than the Wisconsin median ($3,746). Against the country as a whole it is about 41% higher than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #7 of 72 Wisconsin counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Kenosha County's median home, at $247,800, ranks #14 by value in Wisconsin, while its derived rate of 1.69% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Kenosha County: the median bill works out to about $348 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,687 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 168,413 people — the #8 most populous county in Wisconsin, spread over 271 square miles, a density of about 620 people per square mile. Its median home value, $247,800, ranks #14 among the state's 72 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 202 record a higher median tax bill than Kenosha County — it sits in the top 6% nationally. The county holds roughly 2.9% of Wisconsin's people. Its homes are worth more than the state norm (median $247,800 versus $247,400), and a decade at the derived rate of 1.69% adds up to about 16.87% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Iron County, medians $1,777 — $2,403 less than Kenosha County per year.
Counties nearest Kenosha County in the Wisconsin ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee County, WI | $4,406 | $216,500 | 2.04% |
| St. Croix County, WI | $4,297 | $349,700 | 1.23% |
| Racine County, WI | $4,071 | $239,400 | 1.70% |
| Jefferson County, WI | $3,988 | $253,800 | 1.57% |
Kenosha County and its population peers
Population is a useful lens on these figures, so the table below sets Kenosha County beside the counties closest to it in population anywhere in the country — communities of a similar scale operating under different state and local tax systems. Ranked by median tax paid within this peer group of 9, Kenosha County's $4,180 bill is #3 of 9.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chittenden County, VT | 168,831 | $6,527 | $404,500 | 1.61% |
| Pueblo County, CO | 168,726 | $1,382 | $271,800 | 0.51% |
| Charles County, MD | 168,710 | $4,179 | $402,300 | 1.04% |
| Greene County, OH | 168,531 | $4,021 | $238,000 | 1.69% |
| Monroe County, PA | 167,784 | $4,435 | $241,200 | 1.84% |
| Yellowstone County, MT | 167,340 | $2,669 | $317,600 | 0.84% |
| Wyandotte County, KS | 167,277 | $2,240 | $152,700 | 1.47% |
| Beaver County, PA | 166,993 | $2,672 | $185,500 | 1.44% |
The closest population match is Greene County, Ohio (168,531 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $4,021 on a median home value of $238,000 — $159 more than Kenosha County pays.
Kenosha County's nearest population neighbours within Wisconsin are Outagamie County (191,537 residents, median tax $3,580 on a median value of $244,100); Winnebago County (171,357 residents, median tax $3,573 on a median value of $208,600); Rock County (163,944 residents, median tax $3,652 on a median value of $215,900); Marathon County (138,067 residents, median tax $3,108 on a median value of $205,500). Comparing them is a reminder that even inside one state's rules, the bill follows local home values and local district rates more than anything decided at the state level.
How the tax is worked out
The bill is built in stages. First the assessor puts a market value on the property. Exemptions — a homestead exemption above all — then reduce the taxable amount. Finally the combined local rate is applied. To see the scale: at the county's derived rate of 1.69%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $1,687 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $6,748. Real bills use the official assessment and district rates, not this derived figure, so treat the example as a sense of scale only.
Illustrative bills in Kenosha County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 1.69% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for Kenosha County — and a quick way to compare with the state derived rate of 1.51% and the US figure of 0.98%:
| Home value | Illustrative tax / year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $2,530 | $211 |
| $250,000 | $4,218 | $351 |
| $350,000 | $5,904 | $492 |
| $500,000 | $8,435 | $703 |
| $750,000 | $12,652 | $1,054 |
Illustration only: real bills are computed from the assessed value, exemptions, and the combined rates of the property's actual taxing districts.
Checking your assessment in Kenosha County
Believe your assessment is too high? The practical order of attack is: obtain your record card and audit it line by line; collect comparable recent sales in Kenosha County; ask the assessor's office to correct anything plainly wrong; and, if the value still seems off, lodge a formal appeal ahead of the deadline printed on your assessment notice. Windows are short — often 30 to 90 days — and late appeals are usually rejected outright, however strong the case.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Kenosha County, Wisconsin?
The median real estate tax paid in Kenosha County, Wisconsin is $4,180 per year, on a median home value of $247,800 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Kenosha County, Wisconsin?
On a derived basis, 1.69%: the county's median tax bill of $4,180 divided by its median home value of $247,800. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does Kenosha County compare with the rest of Wisconsin?
By median taxes paid, Kenosha County stands at #7 among the 72 Wisconsin counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $4,180 median bill is about 12% higher than the state median ($3,746), and 6 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Kenosha County, Wisconsin?
The assessor estimates your property's market value; exemptions (such as a homestead exemption) reduce the taxable amount; and the result is multiplied by the combined rates of the local taxing districts — county, municipality, school district and any special districts. In Kenosha County, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $4,180 on a median home value of $247,800.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Kenosha County, Wisconsin?
Yes. Request your property record card from the Kenosha County assessor's office and check it for errors, then compare your assessed value with recent sales of similar homes. If it still looks too high, file a formal appeal with the local review board named on your assessment notice before the deadline printed on the notice — windows are short, often 30 to 90 days.