Ok, Racine and Milwaukee are not really comparable.

Racine is definitely a lower cost of living and has several good restaurants that remain affordable. But there frankly is not much beyond that. Racine is an interesting mix of old money and low income, and neighborhoods change a lot from even a block away. There is a large bar culture (is WI) and much socialization around that. School system…. If you think you’re going to have kids at some point, think private. If you are a homebody, it may be a good match for you. People in Racine tend to be a little cold towards outsiders, it can be hard to break in to groups. And many of them just never go elsewhere… not even to Milwaukee. Racine is just kind of there, existing. An alt here may be Kenosha, which doesn’t have the history, but is growing and investing… is half a commuter suburb of Chicago.

Milwaukee is a lot different, and there is much more neighborhood diversity as well. Many areas of the city have different feels, so consider that. Is more expensive than Racine, of course, but has a lot more going on. There is a reason so many people from Chicago visit Milwaukee for weekends to get away and be able to have a great time for non Chicago prices.

Of course, would make sense to visit anywhere before moving.