Appleton, WI vs Milwaukee, WI vs Watertown, WI | City comparison

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Side-by-side relocation research with housing, income, commute, career, lifestyle, and friction signals. Green marks the strongest metric in each row; red marks the weakest.

Appleton, WI

Appleton
Home
$302,027
Rent
$1,189/mo
Income
$80,483
Pop.
75,344
Career
75
Remote
42

Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee-Waukesha
Home
$226,456
Rent
$1,461/mo
Income
$54,234
Pop.
563,531
Career
75
Remote
40

Watertown, WI

Beaver Dam
Home
$324,473
Rent
$1,112/mo
Income
$70,107
Pop.
22,617
Career
73
Remote
24
MetricAppleton, WIMilwaukee, WIWatertown, WI
Population75,344563,53122,617
Population growth / yr-0.1%-0.6%-0.3%
Median home value$302,027$226,456$324,473
Median rent$1,189/mo$1,461/mo$1,112/mo
Median household income$80,483$54,234$70,107
Home value YoY+7.4%+3.6%+7.0%
5-year home CAGR+9.2%+7.1%+7.1%
Off 5-year peak+0.0%+0.0%+0.0%
Momentum score767073
Career fit757573
Remote-work fit424024
Average commute21 min24 min26 min
Traffic friction294240
Public transit gap9565100
Outdoors fit333333
Dating scene proxy345423

Best-fit read

  • Milwaukee, WI tends to score better for lower purchase budget.
  • Watertown, WI tends to score better for lower rent.
  • Appleton, WI tends to score better for higher local income.
  • Appleton, WI tends to score better for career momentum.
  • Appleton, WI tends to score better for remote-work fit.

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