Photo: Jasperthedog28 · CC BY-SA 4.0Measured against area pay, Appleton costs less to live in than 67% of U.S. towns
It ranks #55 of 362 in Wisconsin for affordability. Up 5.3% in a year, 10% below the Wisconsin typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Appleton, WI metro area ($86K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across the Appleton metro earn ($86K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 2.7 years of metro income, and 39% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $305Ktypical home, 10% below the Wisconsin typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,260a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
- 92prices across the Appleton metro, where the U.S. is 100 (housing 71)BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
In paychecks the grade
- 2.7 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$86K, Appleton-area income
- 14%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 39%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Wisconsin: 44%Census 2020–24
- 14%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
The short version on homes in Appleton
About half of homes sell above asking
In September, 53% of the homes that sold went for more than the asking price and 65% went under contract within two weeks. There were about 1.7 months of homes for sale at that pace, against 3 across Wisconsin: 167 listings for 101 sales that month. Expect competition on well-priced homes. How fast homes sell ↓
A median income goes further next door
At Appleton’s median income, the calculator’s budget of about $286K falls short here but covers the typical home in Fox Crossing ($248K). Can I afford it? ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; sales and supply are Redfin’s for September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025; 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 67% of U.S. towns, #55 of 362 in Wisconsin. Property tax pulls the grade down most; rent holds it up.
Values have outpaced Wisconsin: the typical Appleton home is up 46.3% in five years, against 31.4% statewide (Zillow).
Up 46.3% in five years
Faster than Wisconsin (31.4%).
Show as a table
| January | Appleton | Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $141,000 | $178,000 |
| 2018 | $151,000 | $188,000 |
| 2019 | $161,000 | $200,000 |
| 2020 | $172,000 | $213,000 |
| 2021 | $188,000 | $235,000 |
| 2022 | $213,000 | $260,000 |
| 2023 | $234,000 | $279,000 |
| 2024 | $257,000 | $296,000 |
| 2025 | $276,000 | $314,000 |
| 2026 | $297,000 | $330,000 |
| September 2026 | $305,000 | $337,000 |
A typical Appleton home worth $138K in October 2016 is worth about $305K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A strong seller's market
Homes are selling faster than new ones are listed: less than two months of supply. Well-priced homes can draw several offers.
Under ~4 months of supply favors sellers; over ~6 favors buyers.
Redfin Data Center, all residential sales, September 2026.
A typical home costs 2.7 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 $2K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,260 a month here, $730 less 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 (1.55% 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 $1,260
Renters already here pay a median of $1,030, 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 (Appleton, WI MSA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
79 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 79 new homes in Appleton in 2025: 77 single-family houses and 2 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $38.3 million to build. That's 1.1 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Wisconsin (4.3). Over the past 10 years, Appleton has permitted 999 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Appleton gained 3,021 residents while 1,566 new homes were permitted: about 1.9 new residents per new home, more than across Wisconsin (1.3): growth outpaced building.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 41 | 39 | 2 | $21.9 million |
| 2025 | 79 | 77 | 2 | $38.3 million |
| 2024 | 131 | 129 | 2 | $64.1 million |
| 2023 | 98 | 96 | 2 | $40.8 million |
| 2022 | 142 | 108 | 34 | $56 million |
| 2021 | 121 | 97 | 24 | $42.1 million |
| 2020 | 104 | 76 | 28 | $29.7 million |
| 2019 | 89 | 54 | 35 | $22.5 million |
| 2018 | 62 | 54 | 8 | $18.1 million |
| 2017 | 80 | 68 | 12 | $18.7 million |
| 2016 | 93 | 53 | 40 | $25.8 million |
| 2015 | 308 | 58 | 250 | $34 million |
| 2014 | 198 | 58 | 140 | $31.6 million |
| 2013 | 206 | 77 | 129 | $29.4 million |
| 2012 | 281 | 45 | 236 | $24.3 million |
| 2011 | 171 | 37 | 134 | $20.9 million |
| 2010 | 78 | 64 | 14 | $17 million |
| 2009 | 82 | 74 | 8 | $15.9 million |
| 2008 | 136 | 54 | 82 | $22.4 million |
| 2007 | 91 | 85 | 6 | $24.8 million |
| 2006 | 159 | 115 | 44 | $33.2 million |
| 2005 | 133 | 121 | 12 | $37.5 million |
| 2004 | 173 | 163 | 10 | $31 million |
| 2003 | 300 | 213 | 87 | $47.7 million |
| 2002 | 347 | 189 | 158 | $46.9 million |
| 2001 | 377 | 165 | 212 | $41.8 million |
| 2000 | 391 | 200 | 191 | $47.9 million |
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 $3,588, under the Wisconsin median of $3,792, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 1.55% a year, against 1.42% 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+”.
The rest of a budget near Appleton
Only figures published free for the whole country, each labeled with the area it covers: the Appleton, WI metro area, or Wisconsin. Groceries follow the goods price level; nobody publishes them town by town.
| Cost | Here | Compared with | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prices overall U.S. = 100 | 92 | WI 94 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Goods (groceries, clothing, cars…) U.S. = 100 | 94 | WI 94 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Utilities U.S. = 100 | 91 | WI 90 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Other services U.S. = 100 | 99 | WI 100 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
Price levels: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024 (metro area and state). Electricity: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, table 5.6.A.
Appleton vs. its neighbors
Of the 6 towns here with a Zillow value, Appleton has the lowest. Fox Crossing has no Zillow value, so it is in the table only.
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 | B+ | $305K | $231K | 1.55% | $1,260 |
| Grand Chute | C+ | $466K | $295K | 1.40% | $1,360 |
| Harrison | C | $456K | $349K | 1.28% | $1,180 |
| Freedom | B+ | $431K | $333K | 1.11% | $1,330 |
| Fox Crossing | C+ | — | $248K | 1.62% | $1,270 |
| Menasha | B | $315K | $192K | 1.89% | $1,150 |
| Center | B− | $472K | $355K | 1.12% | $1,270 |
| Harrison | – | — | — | — | $1,150 |
“—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures. “—” under Cost: not graded (too little Census data, or under 1,000 residents).
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 67% of U.S. towns: a B+ for cost of living, #55 of 362 in Wisconsin. The typical home costs 2.7 years of the median household income of the Appleton, WI metro area ($86K).
How much does a house cost in Appleton?
About $305K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 5.3% in a year. The Wisconsin typical home is $337K.
What salary do you need to live in Appleton?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $85,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,990 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $50,000.
How much is rent in Appleton?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,260 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,030 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Appleton?
The median bill is $3,588 a year, 1.55% of the median home value (Wisconsin: $3,792, 1.42%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Appleton going up?
Yes: up 5.3% in the past year and 46.3% in five years, against 31.4% across Wisconsin (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.