Photo: Jake DeGroot · CC BY-SA 3.0Measured against area pay, Appleton costs less to live in than 96% of U.S. towns
Up 5.6% in a year, 74% below the Minnesota typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Swift County, MN ($60K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 1 sale in September 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade compares costs with what households across Swift County earn ($60K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 1.3 years of area income, and 43% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $91Ktypical home, 74% below the Minnesota typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $970a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 1.3 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$60K, Swift County income
- 14%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 19%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
The short version on homes in Appleton
Owning can cost less than renting
With 20% down at the calculator’s rate, the typical Appleton home runs about $580 a month with tax and insurance. A two-bedroom rents for about $970. Can I afford it? ↓
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median tax bill is $1,081, under the Minnesota median of $3,357, because homes cost less. As a share of value, though, it’s 1.40% a year, against 1.02% statewide. On the typical home, that’s about $110 a month. Property taxes ↓
An older housing stock
Half of Appleton’s homes were built before 1954, against 1979 for Minnesota as a whole. Older homes can mean character, and also bigger heating and repair bills, so an inspection matters. Property taxes ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025 (2025 partly estimated); incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Appleton’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Appleton is more affordable than 96% of U.S. towns. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; home prices hold it up.
Values have outpaced Minnesota: the typical Appleton home is up 28.5% in five years, against 14.1% statewide (Zillow).
Up 28.5% in five years
Faster than Minnesota (14.1%).
Show as a table
| January | Appleton | Minnesota |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $41,000 | $216,000 |
| 2018 | $47,000 | $231,000 |
| 2019 | $54,000 | $245,000 |
| 2020 | $57,000 | $257,000 |
| 2021 | $63,000 | $280,000 |
| 2022 | $77,000 | $311,000 |
| 2023 | $81,000 | $322,000 |
| 2024 | $82,000 | $329,000 |
| 2025 | $94,000 | $338,000 |
| 2026 | $86,000 | $346,000 |
| September 2026 | $91,000 | $349,000 |
A typical Appleton home worth $41K in October 2016 is worth about $91K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 1.3 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Appleton’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Appleton home, with $128K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $970 a month here, $390 more than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Appleton’s typical property tax (1.40% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $970
Renters already here pay a median of $717, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Big Stone County, MN): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
No new homes permitted in 2025
No permits for new homes were issued in Appleton in 2025. The last year with any was 2017 (1 new home).
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Appleton's population fell by 20 even though 2 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year. Across Minnesota: 2.2 new residents per new home.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2017 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $165,000 |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $225,000 |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $180,000 |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2006 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $85,000 |
| 2005 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2004 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2003 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $120,000 |
| 2002 | 5 | 1 | 4 | $424,000 |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Appleton's permit office didn't report to the Census in 2025, so the 2025 figures are Census estimates.
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $1,081, under the Minnesota median of $3,357, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 1.40% a year, against 1.02% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Appleton and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appleton | A+ | $91K | $77K | 1.40% | $970 |
Questions about the cost of living in Appleton
Is Appleton expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Appleton costs less than 96% of U.S. towns: an A+ for cost of living. The typical home costs 1.3 years of the median household income of Swift County, MN ($60K).
How much does a house cost in Appleton?
About $91K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 5.6% in a year. The Minnesota typical home is $349K.
What salary do you need to live in Appleton?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $25,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $580 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $39,000.
How much is rent in Appleton?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $970 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $717 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Appleton?
The median bill is $1,081 a year, 1.40% of the median home value (Minnesota: $3,357, 1.02%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Appleton going up?
Yes: up 5.6% in the past year and 28.5% in five years, against 14.1% across Minnesota (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Appleton buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.