Mankato Kenosha

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Mankato to Kenosha is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 91.0 to 101.1 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $231/mo.

-$1,730
BLS median salary lower in Kenosha
259 to 280
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
15.8:1 to 14.4:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$466
DOL infant care lower / yr in Kenosha

BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.

Verdict
Less Favorable
Cost Index: 91.0 → 101.1
Rent Delta: +$231/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + Better student-teacher ratios

Cons of Moving

  • - 10% higher cost of living
  • - $231/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 91.0 to 101.1, so the same paycheck buys less in Kenosha (ratio 1.11). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $231/mo ($2,772/yr) from $1,171 in Mankato to $1,402 in Kenosha.

Mankato still leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Kenosha sits #260 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Mankato is #93/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $1,730 lower ($70,136 → $68,406). Labor-market size: 48,900 tracked jobs at origin vs 69,670 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: Wisconsin scores 57 (D, #32/51) vs Minnesota at 49 (F, #43/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Mankato
Kenosha
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 91.0
RPP 101.1
Mankato
Rent (2BR)
$1,171/mo
$1,402/mo
Mankato
Wages
$70,136
$68,406
Mankato
Crime
259 per 100K
280 per 100K
Mankato
Schools
15.8:1
14.4:1
Kenosha
Childcare
$11,722/yr
$11,256/yr
Kenosha
Environment
1033 violations
2317 violations
Mankato

State retirement friendliness

Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.

Origin state · Minnesota
49 F #43/51
Income tax
60
Property tax
62
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
34
Destination state · Wisconsin
57 D #32/51
Income tax
62
Property tax
56
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
40

Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Mankato to see what you'd need to earn in Kenosha to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Kenosha
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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026