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Appleton vs Fox Crossing

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (3× in Appleton) and size (3.9× in Appleton).

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Appleton, WIA history townWisconsin · 75,023 people
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Fox Crossing, WIKnown for its schoolsWisconsin · 19,131 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

AppletonA history town
HistorySettled in 184821 places on the National Register Famous people73 notable peopleborn in Appleton Outdoors#17 most walkable in WI12 miles of trails across 40 parks and preserves All about Appleton →
Fox CrossingKnown for its schools
Schools#61 for schools in WIof 262 towns Work15,956 jobsbased in Fox Crossing, a regional job hub HealthHealthier than 63%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Fox Crossing →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Trails3×
Appleton has more miles of trail
Appleton 12.4 miFox Crossing 4.2 mi
Size3.9×
Appleton is the bigger place
Appleton 75,023Fox Crossing 19,131
Street grid2.2×
Appleton has the more walkable street grid
Appleton 95.9Fox Crossing 44.6
Work in town+15.2 pts
More of Appleton’s workers stay in town
Appleton 25.5%Fox Crossing 10.3%
★ What stands out · Report cards

Appleton places higher on 12 of 22 WI lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Wisconsin ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
B−AppletonSafer than 46% of U.S. towns A−Fox CrossingSafer than 77% of U.S. towns
Schools
C−AppletonBetter than 22% of districts in the state A−Fox CrossingBetter than 82% of districts in the state
Health
B+AppletonHealthier than 70% of U.S. towns BFox CrossingHealthier than 63% of U.S. towns
12Appleton
8Fox Crossing

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Highest graduation rateSchools · 301 towns #269#25 Best schoolsSchools · 262 towns #186#61 SafestSafety · 161 towns #117#50 Most walkableOutdoors · 371 towns #17#161 Lowest obesityHealth · 366 towns #102#244 Most new homesHousing · 294 towns #219#117 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 99 towns #38#10 Lowest depressionHealth · 366 towns #178#78

Left end = #1 in Wisconsin. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Appleton’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $360 more a month in Appleton

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Appleton$2,000/mo
Typical home $306K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.55% · or rent about $1,030/mo · Housing →
Fox Crossing$1,640/mo
Typical home $248K (Census) · tax rate 1.62% · or rent about $1,009/mo · Housing →

The difference: $360 a month, about $4,300 a year, between Appleton and Fox Crossing.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Where they are

Appleton and Fox Crossing share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

AppletonFox CrossingAppletonFox Crossing
Appleton ↔ Fox Crossing5.9 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
2,147 Appleton residents work in Fox Crossing (5.9% of its workers)
1,510 Fox Crossing residents work in Appleton (16% of its workers)
Work & commute in Appleton →
Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
AppletonFox Crossing
Snow a year49″49″
January low10°F10°F
July high82°F82°F
Growing season (days)154d154d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)5th44th
Outdoors & history
AppletonFox Crossing
Trails12 mi4 mi
Conserved land5%2.5%
Settled18482016
National Register places21—
Archive photos24—
Famous people born here73—
Community
AppletonFox Crossing
Library hours a week66 hrs—
Colleges in town1—
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

AppletonFox Crossing
People
Population 75,023Highest 19,131Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4.2% WI: +3.6% —
Median age 37.5±0.7Lowest 7% below WI 38.3±2.4Highest 5% below WI
Fox Crossing and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 22.7%±1Highest WI: 21.4% 20.2%±2.6Lowest WI: 21.4%
Appleton and Fox Crossing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 16.6%±1Lowest WI: 18.5% 17.3%±2.5Highest WI: 18.5%
Fox Crossing and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 38.2%Highest WI: 33.4% 33.3%Lowest WI: 33.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.2%±0.7Highest WI: 5.8% 4.3%±1.5Lowest WI: 5.8%
Appleton and Fox Crossing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $80,483±$3kHighest 4% above WI $79,187±$4kLowest about the WI average
Appleton and Fox Crossing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $231,400±$5kLowest 13% below WI $248,100±$14kHighest 7% below WI
Fox Crossing and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,030±$38Highest 5% below WI $1,009±$45Lowest 7% below WI
Appleton and Fox Crossing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,588Lowest 5% below WI $4,022Highest 6% above WI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 38.9%±3.6Highest WI: 43.7% 31.6%±7.8Lowest WI: 43.7%
Appleton and Fox Crossing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 8.3%Highest WI: 10.6% 8.2%Lowest WI: 10.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 67.1%Highest WI: 67.8% 59.6%Lowest WI: 67.8%
Typical home builtmedian year 1971Lowest 4 yrs older than WI 1982Highest 7 yrs newer than WI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 19 minHighest 13% below WI 18 minLowest 20% below WI
Work from home 12.6%±1.3Highest WI: 13.1% 12.3%±2.5Lowest WI: 13.1%
Appleton and Fox Crossing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 25.5%Highest 10.3%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 6.3 miHighest 5.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.23Lowest 1.69Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Grand Chute (11%)Appleton (16%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 6% work in Fox Crossing16% work in Appleton
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 5%Highest 2.5%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 12.4 miHighest 4.2 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 miHighest 0.3 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 40Highest 16Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 95.9Highest 44.6Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #186 of 262 in WI#61 of 262 in WI
School district Appleton Area School DistrictNeenah Joint School District
High school in town North HighNeenah High
Students per teacherat that high school 17.3Lowest 17.6Highest
Wisconsin average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Appleton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Appleton’s Town Square.

Fox Crossing neighborsTown Square →

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Bordering Appleton

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Grand Chute24,168 people · $295K homes
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Harrison13,658 people · $349K homes
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Freedom6,223 people · $333K homes
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Menasha18,273 people · $192K homes

Towns like Appleton

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Waukesha71,233 people · $316K homes
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Janesville66,030 people · $223K homes
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Kenosha99,372 people · $225K homes
E
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Eau Claire70,322 people · $248K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Wisconsin towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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