Living in Racine, WI offers a picturesque lakeside lifestyle with a strong sense of community and rich industrial heritage. Known as 'The Belle City of the Lakes,' Racine is located on the shores of Lake Michigan, offering stunning waterfront views and a vibrant local culture. The city's historic architecture, beautiful parks, and thriving arts scene make it an attractive place to live for families and professionals alike.
Racine’s dining scene is diverse, offering a range of options from traditional Wisconsin fare to international cuisine. The city's downtown area, especially along Main Street, is a hub of activity, featuring a variety of shops, restaurants, and cultural attractions like the Racine Art Museum. The annual Racine County Fair is a highlight of the year, celebrating the region's agricultural roots with food, music, and family-friendly activities.
For outdoor enthusiasts, Racine provides plenty of opportunities for recreation. The city's parks, including North Beach Park and Quarry Lake Park, offer scenic spots for picnicking, swimming, and enjoying the natural beauty of Lake Michigan. The nearby Root River provides additional opportunities for fishing, kayaking, and exploring the great outdoors.
Racine is also known for its strong sense of community and commitment to preserving its cultural heritage. The city hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including the Downtown Racine Holiday Parade and the Great Lakes Brew Fest, which bring residents together to celebrate and enjoy the community spirit. The city's proximity to Milwaukee means that residents can easily access the amenities of a larger city, including theaters, museums, and professional sports venues.
For those considering a move to Wisconsin, Racine offers a perfect blend of lakeside beauty, cultural richness, and urban convenience. Whether you're drawn by its parks, cultural events, or easy access to Milwaukee, living in Racine, WI provides a fulfilling and dynamic lifestyle.
Commute
An elevated score in the commute category points to excellent public transit accessibility and shorter-than-average work commute times in this area.
Cost Of Living
Taking into account the cost of goods and services like housing, groceries, transportation and utilities, the overall cost of living in this area is well below average.
Housing
High scores in the housing category are a distinguishing feature of this area, possibly driven by a favorable home affordability ratio, higher home values and appreciation rates.
Health & Safety
Good air quality as well as nearby health facilities like hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, fire and police stations all contribute to a higher than average health and safety score.
Schools
The low schools score could result from issues like below-average graduation rates, inadequate reading and math scores, and the unavailability of local elementary and high schools.
Ratings
AreaVibes collected feedback from local residents in the area through surveys and polls, and the results did not show a favorable view of things like local amenities and the safety of the area.
Located in the state of Wisconsin, Racine is a medium-sized city with a population of 76,893 people. In Racine, there are 4,969 people per square mile, which is well above the national population density average. Single men and women might be happy to hear that in Racine, only 45% of the population is married. On a daily basis, the typical American spends approximately 26 minutes on their one-way work commute. Reduced travel times not only contributes to increased overall happiness, but also affords more opportunities to cherish moments with family and friends. If you're living in Racine, your commute time will align closely with the national average, spanning a one-way duration of approximately 23 minutes.
Whether you’re relocating to a new city to be closer to family, friends or for a new job, living in Racine could be a positive experience compared to other cities in Wisconsin if you know where to search. Don't forget to determine what matters most to you in a neighborhood. Consider factors such as safety, proximity to work or school, access to amenities (like parks, fitness facilities, grocery stores, restaurants), public transportation options, community atmosphere and the overall vibe you're looking for. To help you find the best places to live in and around Racine, AreaVibes has created a livability score using key metrics like commute, education, employment, housing and more.
The livability score in Racine is 79 out of 100 and the city is ranked in the 94th percentile of all cities across America. Pack your bags! This is a very high score in comparison to other US cities. Living in Racine could be a great choice! Racine has also earned the rare honor of ranking in the top 10 percentile among all cities. Based on the rankings for each individual category, Racine has been rewarded with high marks for amenities (B-), cost of living (A+) and housing (B+). Racine does not rank well for the following: education (D-) and employment (D-). It might be a smart idea to take a closer look at each category to find out why.
Finding affordable real estate and housing in Racine can be tricky. Having said that, this area might be the place to get the best of both worlds. Based on factors like home/rental affordability and appreciation rates, this area has received an above average score in the housing category. A healthy real estate market can lead to wealth appreciation for property owners, as rising property values can contribute to homeowners' equity, financial stability and the ability to build long-term wealth.
Racine real estate prices and overall affordability will play a huge role in determining if the area is the right fit for you. Of course there are probably some other items on your “wish list”, but even before they are considered, let’s take a look at the home prices and affordability in Racine. Median real estate prices in Racine come in at $116,200, which is 30.4% lower than the Wisconsin average. The home price to income ratio compares the median home prices to the median household income. In Racine, the home price to income ratio is 2.6, which is 16.1% lower than the Wisconsin average.
| Statistic | Racine | Wisconsin | National |
| Average one way commute | 23min | 22min | 26min |
| Workers who drive to work | 80.6% | 80.7% | 76.4% |
| Workers who carpool | 9.6% | 8.3% | 9.3% |
| Workers who take public transit | 2.2% | 1.9% | 5.1% |
| Workers who bicycle | 0.2% | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Workers who walk | 1.4% | 3.3% | 2.8% |
| Working from home | 3.2% | 4.2% | 4.6% |
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