The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Kenosha County, WI

Kenosha County is home to 168,400 residents and includes Kenosha and Pleasant Prairie · Updated November 2026

Is Kenosha County, WI safe?

Yes. Most US neighborhoods have little crime, and Kenosha County has less than most of them: its overall CrimeGrade™ is A, safer than the neighborhoods where 60% of Americans live. Violent and property crime both grade A here. What matters most is the neighborhood: grades within Kenosha County run from A+ to C, so check the map or the safest and least safe places below.

A
Overall CrimeGrade™Safety score 879 of 1,000
Safer than most US neighborhoods What this means

60% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more crime than Kenosha County as a whole, and 40% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a safety score of 838, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. Kenosha County scores 879.

Crime is concentrated in a small share of places, so most neighborhoods score high on the 0 to 1,000 scale. That is why a score in the 800s can still mean more crime than most US neighborhoods.

A
Violent crimeSafety score 861 of 1,000About as much violent crime as the typical US neighborhood
A
Property crimeSafety score 908 of 1,000Less property crime than most US neighborhoods

How it works


Crime map of Kenosha County

Map of Kenosha County shaded by overall CrimeGrade™, from green for the least crime to red for the most
Click the map to explore
F D C B A+
Highest crime Safest
Colorblind friendly off

How to read the map: each area's color compares its crime with the people, homes and cars there, on one national scale, from green for the least crime to red for the most. Each area gets its own color, so a busy shopping center can show red while the homes beside it stay green. The interactive maps load faster on a strong connection. Compare high speed internet in Kenosha County, WI at ISP Reports.

Who this page is for: homeowners and renters in Kenosha County, and anyone thinking about buying or renting a home there.

Business and enterprise customers: this free map shows neighborhood areas. CrimeGrade™ business reports map crime at about 66-meter detail and estimate it for one address and type of business. See business reports


What stands out in Kenosha County

Car thefts are uncommon. Kenosha County has car thefts at a small fraction of the US rate: 0.67 a year per 1,000 residents, against 2.7 nationally.


The safest and most dangerous places in Kenosha County

Low crime is the norm across Kenosha County: 97% of residents live in areas graded A or B, and the rest in areas graded C. Grades across Kenosha County run from A+ to C; 72% of residents live in areas with less crime than the typical US neighborhood.

A or B 97%C 3%

Share of residents, by the overall CrimeGrade™ of the area they live in.

Least crime

  1. 1Bristol6,540A+956
  2. 2Salem5,490A+949
  3. 3Twin Lakes7,680A+938
  4. 4Trevor5,620A+928

Most crime

  1. 1Kenosha105,400A-829
  2. 2Somers1,150A904
  3. 3Pleasant Prairie22,500A912
  4. 4Silver Lake2,590A919

Cities and towns in Kenosha County with at least 1,000 residents. Ranked by overall CrimeGrade™; beside each grade is its safety score, from 0 to 1,000 (higher is safer), and the other numbers are residents.

Across the county, the Paddock Lake area has the least crime and the east side the most.


Crime rates and types in Kenosha County

CrimeGrade™ estimates Kenosha County has about 22 reported crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, 41% less than the US as a whole and close to Wisconsin.

Overall crime

Violent crime

Property crime

Reported crimes a year, per 1,000 residents. These figures include simple assaults and vandalism, which the FBI's violent and property crime rates leave out.

Assault is the most common crime in Kenosha County, about 39% of everything reported, and it also accounts for the largest share of what crime costs here.

CrimeCrimeGrade™Reported a yearPer 1,000 residentsUS per 1,000
Violent crime
MurderA40.020.05
RapeA-590.350.38
RobberyA460.280.62
AssaultA-1,4358.512.3
Property crime
BurglaryA+1470.882.4
TheftA1,2757.613.1
Vehicle theftA+1130.672.7
ArsonA+90.050.12
VandalismA6053.65.5

Each CrimeGrade™ compares a crime with what it affects: people for assaults and robbery, homes for burglary, parked cars for vehicle theft. Rates count crimes per 1,000 residents.

Select a crime's name to see its map above. CrimeGrade™ business reports map each crime at about 66-meter detail.


Where and when crime happens in Kenosha County

These figures come from the reports of the police departments across Kenosha County, 2022 to 2024.

In Kenosha County, 66% of burglaries hit homes, against 57% nationally. Thefts from cars happen most often at homes: 35% of them, against 34% nationally.

CrimeMost often atBusiest time
BurglaryHomes (66%)Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
Car theftHomes (37%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)
Theft from carsHomes (35%)Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
VandalismHomes (48%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)
RobberyStreets and sidewalks (33%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)
Aggravated assaultHomes (62%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)

Shares of the crimes reported to police, 2022 to 2024. Reports with no time recorded are left out of the times; they are over one in five for burglary, car theft, theft from cars, vandalism, robbery, aggravated assault.


How Kenosha County compares with nearby counties

Kenosha County has more crime than 6 of its 10 nearest counties. Walworth County and Waukesha County have the least crime nearby.

Nearby counties

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Kenosha CountyA879AA168,400
Racine County 11 milesA878AA197,500
Lake County, IL 18 milesA894AA714,200
McHenry County, IL 30 milesA+933A+A+312,600
Milwaukee County 32 milesC420C-B-926,300
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Walworth County 32 milesA+953A+A+105,700
Waukesha County 36 milesA+952A+A+411,800
Kane County, IL 49 milesA865AA517,300
Cook County, IL 49 milesC+467CC+5.18 million
DuPage County, IL 51 milesA910AA930,000
Boone County, IL 51 milesA+944A+A+53,200

Nearest first, with each place's distance from Kenosha County. Beside each overall CrimeGrade™ is its safety score, from 0 to 1,000 (higher is safer).

Compared with counties of similar size and density, Kenosha County is safer than 66% of them.

Counties of similar size and density

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Kenosha CountyA879AA168,400
Kent County, RIA908AA171,500
Kaufman County, TXA903AA172,600
Winnebago County, WIA901AA171,800
McLean County, ILA891AA171,600
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Beaver County, PAA889AA166,300
Chittenden County, VTA866AA-169,800
Stafford County, VAA865AA163,500
Kenton County, KYA864AA171,300
Maui County, HIA-819AB+164,500
Wyandotte County, KSC+499C+C+167,700

Empty homes, walkability and shops in Kenosha County

One thing sets Kenosha County apart: it has 4.1% of its homes standing empty, against 7.1% nationally. Places like that tend to report less burglary and arson, and burglary runs low here.

Empty homesSeasonal and vacation homes are left out. Places with many empty homes tend to report more burglary and arson.4.1% of homesUS: 7.1%Lower than for 84% of Americans
Walk GradeBestNeighborhood's grade for getting through daily life on foot, traced along real walking routes to shops, schools and parks. Walkable places tend to report more theft. 68% of residents here live in car-dependent areas.D+ (23 of 100)US: 21Higher than for 73% of Americans
Stores and restaurantsShops and restaurants draw crowds and parked cars. Places with many stores tend to report more theft.9.3 per 1,000 residentsUS: 10.5Lower than for 72% of Americans
Show all 6
Transit serviceBuses and trains an hour at the evening rush. Places with busy transit tend to report more theft and robbery. BestNeighborhood's Transit Grade for Kenosha County: F (3 of 100).under 1 trip an hourUS: noneLower than for 70% of Americans
Lit at nightSatellite images show which neighborhoods are lit at night, a sign of busy streets and businesses. Brightly lit places tend to report more theft and vandalism.78% where people liveUS: 78%Lower than for 64% of Americans
JobsJobs draw daytime crowds. Places with many jobs tend to report more theft and robbery.45 for every 100 residentsUS: 45Higher than for 55% of Americans

BestNeighborhood, a sister site of CrimeGrade™, ranks the neighborhoods of Kenosha County on shops, parks, home prices, getting around and more.

These traits tend to go with more or less crime; none of them causes it on its own. Sources: Census job counts and housing figures, OpenStreetMap and Overture business listings, CrimeGrade™ parking estimates, NASA night-light imagery, US Forest Service tree cover, EPA transit data and BestNeighborhood's Walk Grade.


What crime costs Kenosha County

Counting police, courts and prisons as well as victims' losses, crime costs Kenosha County about $666 a year per household, 45% less than the US figure of $1,205. The total is about $45 million a year.

Cost of crime per resident, per year

Counting the pain and suffering of victims, which comes almost entirely from violent crime, the full cost rises to about $153 million a year, or $911 per resident.

How the cost breaks down
CrimeCost a yearPer resident
Murder$7.4 million$44
Rape$3.6 million$21
Robbery$1.4 million$9
Assault$18 million$107
Burglary$1.3 million$8
Theft$6.5 million$39
Vehicle theft$1.7 million$10
Arson$200,000$1
Vandalism$4.3 million$25
Total$45 million$264

How CrimeGrade™ works

A CrimeGrade™ shows how much crime an area has compared with the rest of the country, from A+ for the least crime to F for the most. Every neighborhood in the US is graded on the same scale, so a B in Kenosha County means the same as a B anywhere else.

CrimeGrade™ starts from the crimes people report to police and measures each kind of crime against what it affects: people for assaults, homes for burglaries, parked cars for car thefts.

The rates on this page count crimes for every 1,000 people who live here, the way police departments report them.

Comparisons with US neighborhoods use the Census Bureau's block groups, small areas of about 1,400 residents, and count the people who live in each. The figures count crimes reported to police; many crimes, shoplifting above all, never are. Behind the grades, CrimeGrade™ tested 21,607 factors from 125 data families. For business owners, paid CrimeGrade™ location reports estimate crime at a single address for each type of business.

Where the numbers come from

  • Crime reports that police departments file with the FBI
  • State crime records and city crime data, where they are published
  • Population and housing figures from the US Census Bureau
  • Published research on what crime costs victims and communities

These are estimates of reported crime for whole areas, not a record of what happened on any one street. CrimeGrade™ updates them once a year and provides them free and without guarantee. Check local sources before you rely on them for a decision.

More about CrimeGrade™ data


Schools in Kenosha County

Schools in Kenosha County, WI average a SchoolGrade of C-: 39% of students test proficient, against 33% projected for schools like them. Overall, they exceed expectations. See schools in Kenosha County on SchoolGrade