Appleton, WI: Local News, Events & Neighbors

Appleton (Menominee: Ahkōnemeh) is a city, and the county seat of Outagamie County, Wisconsin, United States, with small portions extending into Calumet and Winnebago counties. Located on the Fox River north of Lake Winnebago, it is 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles (160 km) north of Milwaukee. The city had a population of 75,644 at the 2020 census, making it the sixth-most populous city in Wisconsin. The Appleton metropolitan statistical area had 243,147 residents. Appleton is part of the broader Fox Cities region. Appleton was founded in the mid-19th century and developed as an industrial and educational center; Lawrence University was established in 1847. Its economy …

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Appleton ranks

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#3Closest to a top hospital in WI #17Most walkable in WI #92Shortest commute in WI All WI rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code54911, 54912, 54913

Area code920

Living in Appleton

Housing in Appleton

$306K▲ 5.7% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Appleton home is worth about $306,000, up 5.7% in a year, 10% below the Wisconsin typical home.

A seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market37

Sale-to-list103.5%

Sold in May72

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Appleton

B⁻

Safety Grade B-

Appleton reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 54% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Appleton 1.9

Wisconsin 2.4

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Appleton 9.6

Wisconsin 10.3

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Health in Appleton

B⁺

Health Grade B+

Healthier than 69% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates.

Compared with Wisconsin

5better than WI

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 27 are too close to call.

Conditions 5▲ 7 close Habits all close Care all close Mind all close Everyday needs all close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

2.9%Fewer adults who have had a strokeWI 3.4% · better 5.7%Fewer adults with heart diseaseWI 6.6% · better

Care nearby

Thedacare Regional Medical Center - AppletonAppleton · 0.4 mi · ER

Partnership Community Health Center - Appleton DentalAppleton · 5 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careNo shortage

DentalNo shortage

Mental healthNo shortage

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Appleton · CMS · HRSAHealth in Appleton →

Schools in Appleton

All Appleton schools →

C⁻

School Grade C-

The public schools Appleton’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 78% of Wisconsin’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

See how Appleton’s schools compare in WI →

DistrictAppleton Area School DistrictSchools44

Huntley Elementary A-Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 570 students Ferber Elementary BElementary · Grades PK–5 · 499 students Classical School A+Elementary · Grades K–8 · 487 students Highlands Elementary C-Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 417 students McKinley Elementary CElementary · Grades PK–5 · 380 students Berry Elementary AElementary · Grades PK–5 · 368 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within WI. Ratings are from neighbors.