Living in Appleton, WI
Small city in Wisconsin
Appleton is a small city in Wisconsin, home to about 75,000 people, with 568,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, there is some transit, though many people drive. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are mostly houses.
Is Appleton a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Mild summers: highs around 79°F
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $292k and rents for $1,700 a month
- Strong healthcare: 7 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Safe: violent crime is 0.7× the US rate (FBI 2019)
👎 Cons
- Cloudier than most places
- Smaller job market: about 568,000 people live within 31 mi
- Fewer graduates: 37% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
- Higher taxes: about $1,734 state income tax per resident, 1.64% property tax
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Appleton ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Appleton: common questions
What is the cost of living in Appleton?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $292k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,700 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 92, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Appleton?
Wisconsin collects about $1,734 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.64% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Appleton safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.7× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Appleton?
Appleton has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 28°F and summer days around 79°F, with roughly 49″ of snow a year.
Does Appleton get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from cold waves, flooding and tornadoes: 5 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 1.03 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Appleton?
The nearest major airport is MKE, about 95 mi away.
How Appleton scores
Each bar compares Appleton with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
Places like Appleton
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 23 aspects.
Nearby
See all the best places to live in Wisconsin.
Is Appleton right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.