What stands out worked out from the figures below

Troy has the most people working from home (25.3%).

Appleton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.2%).

What matters to you?

Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Troy	Appleton
People
Population	984Lowest	1,360Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-1.2%Lowest ME: +2.6%	+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6%
Median age	49.3±13.6Highest 10% above ME	49.2±7.4Lowest 10% above ME
	Troy and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	20.7%±7Highest ME: 18.1%	15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1%
	Troy and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	27%±4.6Highest ME: 22.4%	26.1%±9.3Lowest ME: 22.4%
	Troy and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	21.7%Lowest ME: 36.2%	34.1%Highest ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.5%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8%	3.7%±2.4Lowest ME: 5.8%
	Troy and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$44,583±$14kLowest 40% below ME	$53,618±$19kHighest 28% below ME
	Appleton and Troy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$213,000±$31kLowest 28% below ME	$235,600±$33kHighest 21% below ME
	Appleton and Troy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,255±$211Highest 10% above ME	$1,104±$82Lowest 3% below ME
	Troy and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$1,752Lowest 42% below ME	$3,588Highest 18% above ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	53.2%±44.5Lowest ME: 48.4%	85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4%
	Appleton and Troy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	17.8%Highest ME: 10.7%	9.7%Lowest ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	86.4%Highest ME: 74.3%	82.6%Lowest ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME	1988Lowest 11 yrs newer than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	50 minHighest 102% above ME	30 minLowest 23% above ME
Work from home	25.3%±8.3Highest ME: 15.9%	11.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9%
Schools
School district	RSU 03/MSAD 03	Appleton Public Schools
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

ME average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.