Back

Economic Indicators

Racine Economic Growth

Racine’s economic success is the result of hard-working, talented people who are dedicated to creating a dynamic community. Lack of quality, affordable housing and well-paying jobs can hamper the City’s ability to attract new business and grow. Identifying opportunities to improve Racine’s job and housing situations can lead to a strong local economy that is able to withstand downturns. This section contains information about factors affecting Racine’s economy.

Access to Healthcare

Medicaid Enrollment

Racine County has a higher rate of individuals enrolled in Medicaid compared to the state of Wisconsin and the United States. From the years 2019 to 2022, enrollment in all regions increased and then in year 2022 drastically decreased for all regions.

Sources:

Medicaid

Forward Health

Medicare Enrollment

Racine County has a higher rate among the State of Wisconsin and the United States in people enrolled in Medicare. Between 2019 and 2023, there is a gradual increase in rates for the county, state and U.S. However, the U.S overall still increases but has a much lower rate compared to Wisconsin and Racine County.

Source:

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Health Insurance Coverage

In 2022, the City of Racine had approximately 93% of it’s residents covered by health insurance, an increase from 2018 which was at 90%. Overall, the City of Racine is coverage is lower than Racine County, the State of Wisconsin but higher than the National percentage of 91% for 2022. The general trend in all regions between 2018 and 2022 shows either plateauing or increasing in health care coverage for it’s recipients.

Sources:

2020 Central Racine County Community Health Survey

Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation

U.S. Census Bureau

Centers for Disease Control

Residents Living in Poverty

Poverty Levels

Poverty level according to the U.S. Census Bureau, are dependent on income and family size. The City of Racine has had a significantly higher percentage of the total population living in poverty compared to Racine County, the State of Wisconsin and the U.S. However, in 2022, the City of Racine total poverty percent drastically dropped to the same level as Racine County, making it less than the national level.

Source:

U.S Census Bureau

Nutrition

2020 Fruits and Vegetable Consumption

23% of adults and 43% of children in the City of Racine reported eating the daily recommended amount of vegetables while 93% of children are eating their daily recommended amount of fruit servings. There is a significant portion of both the adult and child populations that are not consuming the suggested portions of fruits and vegetables.

Source:

2020 Racine County Community Health Survey Report

Limited Access To Healthy Foods

Racine County has a lower percentage of people with limited access to healthy foods than Kenosha and the State of Wisconsin, with only Milwaukee County having better access. Having limited access to healthy foods means an individual is both living in poverty and does not live within one mile of a grocery store.

Source:

County Health Rankings and Roadmaps

Community Gardens

City of Racine has the least amount of community gardens available out of the Madison and Milwaukee. However, both of these cities have much larger populations, making the number of community gardens per resident much closer and on par.

Source:

Racine County Food Bank

Racine Urban Garden Network

The Gardens Network

Groundwork Milwaukee

Food Insecurity

Food insecurity is defined as limited or uncertain access to affordable and nutritious food in sufficient quantity. This includes people who may not have the money to purchase food regularly and those who must decide to buy food or pay other expenses. In 2022, 10.7% of Racine County residents experienced food insecurity, which is comparable to the State of Wisconsin and the entire United States.

Sources:

US Department of Agriculture

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, FoodShare) Enrollment

Foodshare Rate

The FoodShare (Wisconsin’s SNAP program) enrollment rate in Racine County has consistently been higher than both the State of Wisconsin and the United States. During 2022 and 2023, Racine county has stayed at a steady level.

Sources:

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Wisconsin Department of Health Services

Unemployment

Rates

The unemployment rate is approximately back to where it was pre-pandemic at nearly all levels with the county remaining higher than the state of Wisconsin and the United States.

Source:

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Housing

Substandard Housing

The City of Racine has a smaller percentage of substandard housing compared to the State of Wisconsin and the United States. This means that almost every home in the City has appropriate plumbing and kitchen facilities.

Source:

U.S. Census Bureau

Homelessness

Homeless Rates

The homeless rates in Racine County, State of Wisconsin and U.S dropped heavily during the year 2021, but started to increase at the same rate in 2023. The State of Wisconsin was the only one that had minimal change to their homeless rate over the past 5 years with minimal fluctuations.

Source:

HUD Homelessness Data Exchange

Foreign-Born Non-Citizens

Non-Citizen Demographics

The rate of foreign-born non-citizens is higher in the City of Racine than in both Racine County and the State of Wisconsin, but is lower than the Unites States. The rates in all locations have remained relatively steady.

Sources:

U.S. Census Bureau

Migration Policy

If you have questions or would like more information
newsletter_gif

Sign up for our newsletter!

Join our email list to keep up to date with all the current news and events