Key facts about the city of Kenosha, long known as a shipping port and, now, the scene of the latest unrest after a police shooting
By: Kelli Smith (chicagotribune. com)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Kenosha, the latest scene of a police shooting, is a city of roughly 100,000 people in southeastern Wisconsin, about 60 miles from Chicago. Here are some key facts about the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin and the fourth-largest city on Lake Michigan.
Population and demographics
Native Americans originally named the area Kenozia, or "place of the Pike." In 2019, the U.S. Census Bureau recorded that the overwhelming majority of residents, 66.7%, identified themselves as white, 17.6% Hispanic or Latino and 11.5% Black or African American. The median age in Kenosha County is about 39.
The city was an important shipping port on the Great Lakes and has been growing in recent years.
Economy
Kenosha's biggest industries are in manufacturing and health care, though the city is also known for tourism and transportation, given its location on Lake Michigan and proximity to Chicago and Milwaukee. Warehousing became big after Amazon built some of its facilities in the area.
The city recently led the state in private sector employment growth and houses the headquarters of a few global companies, including Snap-on Tools; Jockey International, which sells underwear, sleepwear and sportswear; and Uline, which provides shipping and business supplies.
Despite recent growth, Kenosha's economy has fallen below the national rate. The city's median household income from 2014-18 was about $53,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That was $10,000 below the national rate of about $63,000 in 2018. About 18% of Kenosha residents were listed in the U.S. Census as living in poverty in 2019.
Politics
Kenosha County is represented in Congress by Bryan Steil, a Republican elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018. The city has long been led by Mayor John Antaramian, a Democrat first elected in 1992.
True to Wisconsin's status as a battleground state, Kenosha County has seen tight elections between Democrats and Republicans in recent years. In 2016, Donald Trump narrowly won the county by .33%, or 255 votes, over Democratic contender Hillary Clinton. That was the first time a Republican had won the county since 1972.
The city of Kenosha still leans Democratic. In 2016, Hillary Clinton garnered about 56% of the vote while Trump received about 39%. For the primary that spring, about 59% of city voters identified as Democratic, 41% Republican.
Notable people
Kenosha was or is home for a number of notable people, including Mark Ruffalo, who played the Hulk in "Avengers"; Kendra Scott, a fashion industry giant; Melvin Gordon, running back for the Denver Broncos; Reince Priebus, the former White House chief of staff under Trump.
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Facts are facts.
These facts help to flesh out a little bit a place that I'm sure most Americans knew nothing about before it made the national news last week. For example the demographic makeup fairly closely matches the demographic makeup of the country as a whole, 66.7%, identified themselves as white, 17.6% Hispanic or Latino and 11.5% Black or African American.
Wisconsin is pretty liberal in some places and very conservative in others, and usually has close elections. I guess it is something of a weather vane although without a mega city (Milwaukee is 31st nationally in population) I think the overall mindset in Wisconsin is more small town or rural than urban.
The facts also highlight a major problem plaguing small and mid-size cities in the Midwest. Kenosha has a diverse economy but is still falling behind economically. Simply attracting business and creating jobs is no longer enough.
I used to go to WI almost every winter for admin training in the Army. One day I did a day trip to Kenosha and seriously thought of moving there because I fell in love with the city. I sure am glad I didn't now.