Photo: Jasperthedog28 · CC BY-SA 4.0Appleton spent less per resident in 2022 than 68% of similar cities
Appleton’s city government spent $99.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,334 per resident. Water and other utilities ($26.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Appleton is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Appleton
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: appleton.org ↗
Appleton’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on appleton.org ↗.
About $1,334 per resident a year, or $3.65 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 21%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,226 per resident in 2022: less than 68% of them
Appleton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,226 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 31 Wisconsin cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,339, and the middle half spent $1,153–$1,453. Appleton spent less than 68% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($14.3 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Wisconsin cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Appleton itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 9% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Appleton reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,226 · 2023: $1,338 · 2024: $1,334.
full-time in March 2025, down from 602 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,588 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.55% of the home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Appleton’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Appleton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Appleton →
One full-time city employee for every 124 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (74,511).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Appleton Area School District
Appleton’s K–12 school district, shared with Harrison, Grand Chute. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,628 per pupil, $8,837 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Wisconsin districts overall: 39% local, 50% state, 11% federal.
Freedom Area School District · $14,465 per pupil
Kimberly Area School District · $12,695 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Appleton voted in 2024
Official results for Appleton’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat55.8%22,450 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican42.6%17,149 votesOthers: 1.6% (634 votes).
Most votes in Appleton: Kamala D Harris
Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Appleton’s 55,980 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Appleton: Tammy Baldwin
Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
U.S. House, 2024: 2 districts cover Appleton, so your street decides which race was yours. All 2 districts’ results →
President, 2024: Appleton, the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appleton | 55.8% | 42.6% | 1.6% | 40,233 |
| Wisconsin | 48.7% | 49.6% | 1.7% | 3,422,918 |
Appleton is three counties, so there is no single county to set beside it; its result is theirs combined.
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Appleton sends 5 members to the State Assembly alone.
- 1Your cityMayorJake Woodfordas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Wisconsin AssemblyAppleton is split between 5 districts
- 3Wisconsin SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Wisconsin
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Appleton compares with the towns next door
Appleton spent $1,226 per resident in 2022; the 9 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $249 to $1,437. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Buchanan | $249 | $4,259 |
| Freedom | $289 | $3,697 |
| Center | $300 | $3,985 |
| Harrison | $368 | $4,455 |
| Kimberly | $888 | $2,991 |
| Grand Chute | $912 | $4,123 |
| Fox Crossing | $919 | $4,022 |
| Menasha | $1,289 | $3,621 |
| Little Chute | $1,437 | $3,399 |
| Harrison | estimate | — |
| Appleton | $1,226 | $3,588 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Appleton’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Appleton’s government
How much does Appleton spend per resident?
About $1,334 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,226 was less than 68% of 31 Wisconsin cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Appleton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,588 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.55% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see appleton.org.
Who is the mayor of Appleton?
Jake Woodford, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on appleton.org.
How did Appleton vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 55.8%, Donald J Trump 42.6% (40,233 votes, official results). Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Appleton?
601 full-time and 278 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $4.4M (about $52.9M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Appleton in the state legislature?
Appleton is split among 5 Assembly districts and 4 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Wisconsin Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Appleton’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →