Overall
Diff +0.2 RPP
Ann Arbor vs Kenosha
Cost of living comparison based on BEA Regional Price Parities. Kenosha is 0.2% more expensive than Ann Arbor.
0.2% more expensive
Kenosha, WI is 0.2% more expensive than Ann Arbor, MI on BEA Regional Price Parities (overall RPP 101.1 vs 100.9). A $100,000 salary in Ann Arbor buys about the same as $100,236 in Kenosha; the largest component gap is rents.
- Overall RPP 100.9 (Ann Arbor) vs 101.1 (Kenosha)
- $100k in Ann Arbor ≈ $100,236 purchasing power in Kenosha
- Rents drives the gap (-29.5 RPP points)
RPP parity plate
Pair MI:WI 100.9→101.1
PHOTO-FINISH · CROSS-STATE · SPLIT-BUDGET · BOTH-ABOVE · PP-PAR
- PHOTO-FINISH Photo finish
- CROSS-STATE MI × WI
- SPLIT-BUDGET Split budget
- BOTH-ABOVE Both above 100
- PP-PAR PP near-par
Instrument codes from this pair's BEA Regional Price Parities (overall · goods · services · rents · national benchmark 100 · purchasing-power conversion), not a ranking or recommendation.
Ann Arbor
100.9
Cost Index
Kenosha
101.1
Cost Index
What This Comparison Actually Tells You
Ann Arbor, MI and Kenosha, WI are a photo finish on overall price level, only 0.2 RPP points apart. A salary conversion is therefore a fine adjustment, not evidence of a fundamentally different cost regime.
Rents creates the largest separation: Kenosha is 29.5 points lower. But rents and services move against the overall direction, so this is a split budget rather than a clean across-the-board winner.
Comparable population context is incomplete for this pair, so no market-scale explanation is inferred from the price indexes.
Both metros exceed the U.S. benchmark of 100. The choice is between two national premiums, so local wages need to clear the higher baseline in either market.
For a housing-sensitive move, validate the rent gap first: HUD Fair Market Rent and the actual unit size can overturn what the blended index implies. On the BEA ratio alone, $100,000 in Ann Arbor corresponds to $100,236 in Kenosha.
Category Breakdown
Goods
Diff +12.5 RPP
Services
Diff -12.3 RPP
Rents
Diff -29.5 RPP
| Category | Ann Arbor | Kenosha | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 100.9 | 101.1 | +0.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 106.2 | +12.5 |
| Services | 98.2 | 85.9 | -12.3 |
| Rents | 125.3 | 95.8 | -29.5 |
Visual Comparison
Overall
Ann Arbor 100.9
Kenosha 101.1
Goods
Ann Arbor 93.7
Kenosha 106.2
Services
Ann Arbor 98.2
Kenosha 85.9
Rents
Ann Arbor 125.3
Kenosha 95.8
Vertical line = national average (100)
Salary Equivalents
What a salary in Ann Arbor would need to be in Kenosha for the same purchasing power:
| In Ann Arbor | In Kenosha | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $50,118 | +$118 |
| $75,000 | $75,177 | +$177 |
| $100,000 | $100,236 | +$236 |
| $150,000 | $150,354 | +$354 |
$ in Ann Arbor = in Kenosha
Same BEA Regional Price Parity ratio as the table above (100.9 → 101.1), computed live from your number, nothing is sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kenosha more expensive than Ann Arbor?
Kenosha is 0.2% more expensive than Ann Arbor. The overall cost index is 101.1 vs 100.9 (national average = 100).
What salary in Kenosha equals $100K in Ann Arbor?
A $100,000 salary in Ann Arbor has the same purchasing power as $100,236 in Kenosha. This is based on the BEA Regional Price Parity indexes.
How do rents compare between Ann Arbor and Kenosha?
Rents in Ann Arbor are indexed at 125.3 while Kenosha is at 95.8 (national average = 100). Ann Arbor has higher rents.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.