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Appleton vs Kenosha

120 miles apart. The biggest differences: rent (+15% in Kenosha) and bachelor’s degree+ (+9.2 pts in Appleton).

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Appleton, WIA history townWisconsin · 75,023 people
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Kenosha, WIA history townWisconsin · 99,372 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 →
KenoshaA history town
HistorySettled in 183522 places on the National Register Outdoors#33 most walkable in WI15 miles of trails across 36 parks and preserves College town3 collegesGateway Technical College All about Kenosha →
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.

Rent+15%
Rent runs higher in Kenosha
Kenosha $1,186Appleton $1,030
Bachelor’s degree++9.2 pts
More adults in Appleton have a degree
Appleton 38.2%Kenosha 29%
Household income+13%
Households in Appleton earn more
Appleton $80,483Kenosha $71,239
Average commute4 min
Appleton has the shorter commute
Kenosha 24 minAppleton 19 min
Homeowners+8.4 pts renters
Kenosha has more renters
Appleton 67.1%Kenosha 58.7%
★ What stands out · Report cards

Appleton places higher on 19 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 C+KenoshaSafer than 43% of U.S. towns
Schools
C−AppletonBetter than 22% of districts in the state C−KenoshaBetter than 23% of districts in the state
Health
B+AppletonHealthier than 70% of U.S. towns C+KenoshaHealthier than 37% of U.S. towns
19Appleton
3Kenosha

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

Lowest obesityHealth · 366 towns #102#313 Fewest smokersHealth · 366 towns #118#300 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 99 towns #38#84 HealthiestHealth · 366 towns #147#316 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 371 towns #3#169 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 366 towns #217#357 Most activeHealth · 366 towns #166#291 Shortest commuteGetting around · 371 towns #92#218

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 about the same each month

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 →
Kenosha$1,900/mo
Typical home $285K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.70% · or rent about $1,186/mo · Housing →

The difference: $100 a month, about $1,200 a year, between Appleton and Kenosha.

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.

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
AppletonKenosha
Snow a year49″36″
January low10°F17°F
July high82°F80°F
Growing season (days)154d189d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)5th4th
Outdoors & history
AppletonKenosha
Trails12 mi15 mi
Conserved land5%4.1%
Settled18481835
National Register places2122
Archive photos24—
Famous people born here73—
Community
AppletonKenosha
Library hours a week66 hrs69 hrs
Colleges in town13
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.

Where they are

120 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

AppletonWIKenoshaWI
Appleton ↔ Kenosha120 miles apart
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.

AppletonKenosha
People
Population 75,023Lowest 99,372Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4.2%Highest WI: +3.6% +0.8%Lowest WI: +3.6%
Median age 37.5±0.7Highest 7% below WI 37.1±0.6Lowest 8% below WI
Appleton and Kenosha are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 22.7%±1Lowest WI: 21.4% 23.3%±0.9Highest WI: 21.4%
Kenosha and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 16.6%±1Highest WI: 18.5% 13.8%±0.8Lowest WI: 18.5%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 38.2%Highest WI: 33.4% 29%Lowest WI: 33.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.2%±0.7Lowest WI: 5.8% 6.7%±0.6Highest WI: 5.8%
Kenosha and Appleton 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 $71,239±$4kLowest 8% below WI
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $231,400±$5kHighest 13% below WI $225,200±$5kLowest 15% below WI
Appleton and Kenosha are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,030±$38Lowest 5% below WI $1,186±$31Highest 9% above WI
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,588Lowest 5% below WI $3,839Highest about the WI average
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 38.9%±3.6Lowest WI: 43.7% 49.3%±3.3Highest WI: 43.7%
Below poverty line 8.3%Lowest WI: 10.6% 13.7%Highest WI: 10.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 67.1%Highest WI: 67.8% 58.7%Lowest WI: 67.8%
Typical home builtmedian year 1971Highest 4 yrs older than WI 1970Lowest 5 yrs older than WI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 19 minLowest 13% below WI 24 minHighest 6% above WI
Work from home 12.6%±1.3Highest WI: 13.1% 9.7%±1.2Lowest WI: 13.1%
Work in townworking residents 25.5%Lowest 29.1%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 6.3 miLowest 9.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.23Highest 0.84Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Grand Chute (11%)Pleasant Prairie (11%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in KenoshaFew work in Appleton
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 5%Highest 4.1%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 12.4 miLowest 14.7 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 mi 0.5 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 40Highest 36Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 95.9Highest 88.9Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #186 of 262 in WI#233 of 262 in WI
School district Appleton Area School DistrictKenosha School District · Kenosha Schools of Technology Enhanced Curriculum Inc
High school in town North HighIndian Trail High School and Academy
Students per teacherat that high school 17.3Lowest 19.2Highest
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.

Kenosha neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Kenosha’s Town 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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Fox Crossing19,131 people · $248K 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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Eau Claire70,322 people · $248K homes
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West Allis59,612 people · $204K 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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