Appleton ranks #3 in Wisconsin for a top hospital nearby
Appleton is ranked on 37 lists against the 371 Wisconsin towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 1 and the top quarter on 3.
A podium finish, and more
Each list ranks every WI town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Appleton marked.
Appleton lands in the top half on 17 of 23 lists
Each dot is Appleton’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in WI, the right end is last. Areas where Appleton does best come first.
Younger than 85% of Wisconsin
Not better or worse, just Appleton’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
Appleton out-ranks 5 of its 10 ranked neighbors
Head to head on the lists where both towns are ranked: a point for each list where one town places higher. Tap a town for its own rankings.
Every WI list, and where Appleton lands
41 lists from Census, school, health, library, crime, climate and land data. Tap any list to see every town on it.
Health
Healthiest#1 Whitefish Bay · 98 / 100
#147
Lowest obesity#1 Mequon · 28%
#102
Fewest smokers#1 Whitefish Bay · 7%
#118
Most active#1 Whitefish Bay · 14%
#166
Fewest uninsured#1 Whitefish Bay · 4%
#217
Lowest depression#1 Brookfield · 19%
#178
Closest to a top hospital#1 Waukesha · 0.2 mi
#3 Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Brockway · 65.5%
#149
Most trails#1 Williams Bay · 3.5 mi / sq mi
#144
Most walkable#1 Whitefish Bay · 158 / sq mi
#17 Getting around
Shortest commute#1 Hayward · 12.3 min
#92 People
Most educated#1 Whitefish Bay · 81.9%
#125
Youngest#1 Whitewater · 22.1
#52
R
Oldest#1 Rome · 64.5
#317
R
Most residents 65+#1 Rome · 48.1%
#270
Most kids#1 Arcadia · 37.7%
#120 Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Antigo · 1.4 yrs
#111
Cheapest rent#1 Bass Lake · $404/mo
#155
Lowest property tax#1 Stanley · $1,492/yr
#148
Rent easiest to afford#1 New Richmond · 20.8%
#38 
Safety
Safest#1 Geneva · 2.6
#115 Housing
Vacation-home towns#1 Stephenson · 55.7%
#202
Most new homes#1 DeForest · 26.3 per 1,000
#219
Fastest-rising home prices#1 Algoma · +89.8%
#170
Housing hasn't kept up#1 Whitefish Bay · 31.3 per home
#101 
The number on the right is Appleton’s spot. All of Wisconsin’s rankings, with the map → · National lists and other states: all rankings.
Do the numbers ring true?
The lists count what can be counted. Neighbors know the rest.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
- 2,500+ residents. Census estimates for smaller towns carry margins of error too wide to rank fairly, so they sit out every WI list.
- One town, one row. A city that is both a city and a town in Census data, or a village inside a town, is counted once.
- Ties share a rank. Towns on one weather station, one school district or one CDC estimate share a figure, so they share a spot (T).
- No “worst” lists. Lists rank toward the good end, and share cards are made only for the top half. Age, snow and the like are character, not grades.
U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, 2010 and 2020 censuses, Building Permits Survey), U.S. Department of Education, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, CDC PLACES, Medicare Care Compare, IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FHFA House Price Index, NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. Each list explains its own method.