Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety97#30/924
Economy99#10/925
Housing83#159/925
Health94#59/925
Healthcare96#35/923
Environment37#576/917
Education88#110/925
Infrastructure97#29/925
Community87#124/925
Leisure & amenities69#286/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Appleton, WI metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Poverty rate · low6.2%
99/100Wisconsin 10.3%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Lack of reliable transportation · low6.1%
99/100Wisconsin 7.2%United States 8.3%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Child poverty rate · low6.9%
98/100Wisconsin 12.2%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Severe housing problems · low8.6%
98/100Wisconsin 12.4%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Distance to an airport · low10 mi
98/100Wisconsin 37 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Traffic deaths · low6.5 /100k
97/100Wisconsin 10.2 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Days with unhealthy air · high2.5%
12/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Grocery stores · low1.0 /10k
13/100Wisconsin 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · high1.34%
15/100Wisconsin 1.32%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
High ozone days · high1 days
20/100Wisconsin 4 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Comfortable days · low23.8%
22/100Wisconsin 24.0%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Public EV charging ports · low2.4 /10k
25/100Wisconsin 4.0 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureWorsening
6% (2021) → 32% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+26 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New business applicationsImproving
7.0 /1k (2020) → 15.4 /1k (2025)
+120%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Distance to an airportImproving
91 mi (2020) → 10 mi (2025)
−89%5 yearsUS 33 mi → 33 mi
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
21.4% (Dec 2021) → 33.0% (Aug 2026)
+12 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
17.5 /100k (2021) → 11.0 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−37%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
80.2% (2010 & 2021) → 87.1% (2022 & 2024)
+6.9 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Appleton, WI metro area improved on 17 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 6 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved17

New businesses+120%7.0 /1k → 15.4 /1k
Airport−81 mi91 mi → 10 mi
Pharmacies+12%1.4 /10k → 1.5 /10k
Firearm deaths−25%9.1 /100k → 6.8 /100k
Traffic deaths−15%7.6 /100k → 6.5 /100k

Declined5

Arts & recreation−7.1%4.4 /10k → 4.1 /10k
Gyms−9.5%1.7 /10k → 1.6 /10k
Grocery stores−6.5%1.0 /10k → 1.0 /10k
Price / income+0.6×2.5× → 3.1×
Commute+0.7 min20.1 min → 20.8 min

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Appleton, WI metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	4.4 /10k2020	4.1 /10k2025	−7.1%	Declined	17%
Average commute time	20.1 min2015-2019	20.8 min2020-2024	+0.7 min	Declined	40%
Average weekly wage	$9852020	$1,2122025	+23%	Improved	48%
Bachelor's degree or higher	29.6%2015-2019	32.8%2020-2024	+3.2 points	Improved	59%
Broadband subscriptions	86.5%2015-2019	92.8%2020-2024	+6.3 points	Improved	17%
Child poverty rate	10.5%2015-2019	6.9%2020-2024	−3.5 points	Improved	64%
Distance to an airport	91 mi2020	10 mi2025	−81 mi	Improved	100%
Drug overdose deaths	13.9 /100k2020	11.0 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−21%	Improved	45%
Effective property tax rate	1.73%2015-2019	1.34%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Little change	95%
Firearm deaths	9.1 /100k2020	6.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−25%	Improved	88%
Grocery stores	1.0 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	−6.5%	Declined	31%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.7 /10k2020	1.6 /10k2025	−9.5%	Declined	26%
High school diploma or higher	94.1%2015-2019	95.0%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	24%
Home price to income ratio	2.5×2015-2019	3.1×2020-2024	+0.6×	Declined	33%
Homicide rate	1.6 /100k2020	1.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−21%	Improved	45%
Income adjusted for local prices	$55,4222019	$72,1032024	+30%	Improved	37%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4092015-2019	0.4372020-2024	+0.029	Within the margin of error	7%
Median household income	$67,6162015-2019	$85,8252020-2024	+27%	Improved	50%
New business applications	7.0 /1k2020	15.4 /1k2025	+120%	Improved	97%
Pharmacies	1.4 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	+12%	Improved	90%
Poverty rate	7.4%2015-2019	6.2%2020-2024	−1.2 points	Improved	56%
Property crime rate	1,155 /100k2020	824 /100k2025	−29%	Improved	39%
Public libraries	0.5 /10k2019	0.5 /10k2024	−4.2%	Little change	28%
Public transit commuters	0.5%2015-2019	0.4%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	75%
Rent as share of income	24.6%2015-2019	24.4%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	63%
Rent-burdened households	36.8%2015-2019	37.2%2020-2024	+0.4 points	Within the margin of error	56%
Restaurants and bars	11.5 /10k2020	12.0 /10k2025	+4.8%	Little change	66%
Suicide rate	14.6 /100k2020	14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−3.4%	Little change	68%
Traffic deaths	7.6 /100k2015-2019	6.5 /100k2020-2024	−15%	Improved	83%
Unemployment rate	5.4%2020	2.8%2025	−2.6 points	Improved	39%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	4.9%2015-2019	4.4%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	58%
Violent crime rate	171 /100k2020	136 /100k2025	−21%	Improved	57%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Appleton, WI metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Appleton, WI metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Appleton, WI metro area itself moved +4.2 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

245,768 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

99,754 households (±466)

Appleton, WI metro area
United States share

Under $25k9.2%9,135
$25k–50k16%16,377
$50k–75k18%17,515

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

99,754 households (±466)

Appleton, WI metro area
United States share

Own73%73,140
Rent27%26,614

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

130,060 workers (±1,277)

Appleton, WI metro area
United States share

Drive alone78%100,902
Carpool6.9%9,023
Public transit0.4%†556

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Appleton, WI employ 26,030 people. 5 pay a median above the US median and 5 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Appleton, WI by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Retail Salespersons3,610 jobs	3,610	$34,540US $35,410	−2%	1.16×
Fast Food and Counter Workers3,150 jobs	3,150	$29,010US $31,200	−7%	1.02×
Home Health and Personal Care Aides2,820 jobs	2,820	$37,010US $35,800	+3%	0.82×
Cashiers2,750 jobs	2,750	$31,610US $32,880	−4%	1.11×
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand2,610 jobs	2,610	$43,610US $40,240	+8%	1.11×
Customer Service Representatives2,540 jobs	2,540	$45,760US $44,770	+2%	1.22×
Registered Nurses2,310 jobs	2,310	$86,680US $97,550	−11%	0.85×
Office Clerks, General2,260 jobs	2,260	$45,640US $45,010	+1%	1.15×
Stockers and Order Fillers2,000 jobs	2,000	$34,430US $37,330	−8%	0.88×
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers1,980 jobs	1,980	$58,730US $58,640	0%	1.2×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Appleton, WI.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Appleton, WI has 6,272 employer establishments, 254 for every 10,000 residents (1.02× the US rate of 248), with 115,626 paid employees at an average annual pay of $59,781. The Census Bureau also counts 15,611 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 6,272; 15,611 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 254; US 248
Paid employees: 115,626
Average annual pay: $59,781; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Appleton, WI by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	543	22	1.42×More than typical	6,598	$79,875	942
Ambulatory health care services	449	18.2	0.87×About typical	6,001	$86,608	525
Restaurants and other eating places	418	16.9	0.92×About typical	8,255	$18,864	58
Building equipment contractors	206	8.3	1.39×More than typical	4,170	$84,861	132
Full-service restaurants	201	8.1	1.06×About typical	4,376	$20,024	29
Lessors of real estate	192	7.8	0.63×Fewer than typical	734	$47,259	1,865
Construction of buildings	184	7.4	0.99×About typical	1,369	$86,591	429
Automotive repair and maintenance	162	6.6	1.30×More than typical	1,044	$57,197	197
Services to buildings and dwellings	160	6.5	0.96×About typical	1,565	$33,279	771
Limited-service restaurants	159	6.4	0.80×About typical	3,193	$17,861	22
Offices of physicians	159	6.4	0.99×About typical	2,315	$114,862	98
Personal care services	152	6.2	1.29×More than typical	744	$30,047	773

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 247,042 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $54.8M on contracts performed in Appleton, WI metro area: $219 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $54.8M; +41% vs FY2025
Per resident: $219; US $1,994
Sole-source: 5.2%; US 30%
Single offer: 13%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Army$31M56%
Department of Defense Education Activity$7.3M13%
Federal Emergency Management Agency$6M11%
Defense Logistics Agency$5M9.1%
U.S. Coast Guard$2.5M4.6%
Defense Contract Management Agency$1.8M3.3%
USTRANSCOM$487.9K0.9%
Department of Veterans Affairs$344.5K0.6%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

67.5MFY2017
41.6MFY2018
55.8MFY2019
31MFY2020
59.5MFY2021
47.1MFY2022
17.4MFY2023
61.9M

Top industries (NAICS)

Other fabricated metal product manufacturing · 3329$23.9M44%
Newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers · 5131$7.2M13%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$6M11%
Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$5.6M10%
Agriculture, construction, and mining machinery manufacturing · 3331$3.5M6.4%
Other general purpose machinery manufacturing · 3339

Largest awards

THIS IS AN AWARD OF THE BDU-50D/B CAST DUCTILE IRON (CDI) PRACTICE BOMB. NSN: 1325-01-607-6844$135.1M
TOWER INDUSTRIES, INC.· Outagamie County, WI· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Aug 30, 2019 – Mar 17, 2026· W52P1J19C0048
FMS CAR$52.3M
ALLIED METAL TECH, LLC· Outagamie County, WI· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Dec 4, 2025 – Dec 4, 2025· W519TC26F0008
K-5 SCIENCE INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES AND LAB KITS$7.2M
SCHOOL SPECIALTY, LLC· Outagamie County, WI· Other equipment & supplies· Apr 22, 2026 – Apr 22, 2026· HE125426FE335
THE PURPOSE OF THIS TASK ORDER IS TO PROVIDE A TOTAL OF 45,000 HOUSING INSPECTIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE STATE OF WISCONSIN FOR THE PRESIDENTIALLY DECLARED DISASTER DR-4923-WI (REGION 5) AS A RESULT OF SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, HAIL, AND FLOODING THAT OC

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1.7B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Appleton, WI metro area: $6,720 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $1.7B; +2.4% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,720; US $12,955
Loan face value: $50.6M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.8%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$1B62%
20.279 · National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)$207.4M12%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$103.4M6.2%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$101.5M6.0%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$70.2M4.2%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$20.6M1.2%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$17.3M1.0%
20.278 · National Highway Freight Program (NHFP)$15M0.9%

Top recipients (organizations)

WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$240.8M14%
MADISON, WI
FOX VALLEY TECHNICAL COLLEGE$17.2M1.0%
APPLETON, WI
OUTAGAMIE, COUNTY OF$8.7M0.5%
APPLETON, WI
APPLETON HOUSING AUTHORITY$5.1M0.3%
APPLETON, WI
ONEIDA NATION$4.6M

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$1.2B74%
Federal Highway Administration$240.8M14%
Department of Transportation
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$116.3M6.9%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education$13.6M0.8%
Farm Service Agency$11.4M0.7%

Assistance by fiscal year

1.3BFY2021
1.2BFY2022
1.3BFY2023
1.4BFY2024
1.6BFY2025
1.7BFY2026

County aggregates

81%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Appleton, WI

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

AppletonPrincipal city75,023

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Wisconsin

Areas based in Wisconsin, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M11540

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved17

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Appleton, WI metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Appleton, WI

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Wisconsin

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved17

Declined5

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought