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
Home
$302,027
Rent
$1,189/mo
Income
$80,483
Pop.
75,344
Career
75
Remote
42
Milwaukee, WI
Home
$226,456
Rent
$1,461/mo
Income
$54,234
Pop.
563,531
Career
75
Remote
40
Wausau, WI
Home
$243,982
Rent
$1,007/mo
Income
$64,389
Pop.
40,262
Career
76
Remote
42
| Metric | Appleton, WI | Milwaukee, WI | Wausau, WI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 75,344 | 563,531 | 40,262 |
| Population growth / yr | -0.1% | -0.6% | +0.2% |
| Median home value | $302,027 | $226,456 | $243,982 |
| Median rent | $1,189/mo | $1,461/mo | $1,007/mo |
| Median household income | $80,483 | $54,234 | $64,389 |
| Home value YoY | +7.4% | +3.6% | +8.7% |
| 5-year home CAGR | +9.2% | +7.1% | +8.3% |
| Off 5-year peak | +0.0% | +0.0% | +0.0% |
| Momentum score | 76 | 70 | 79 |
| Career fit | 75 | 75 | 76 |
| Remote-work fit | 42 | 40 | 42 |
| Average commute | 21 min | 24 min | 17 min |
| Traffic friction | 29 | 42 | 21 |
| Public transit gap | 95 | 65 | 95 |
| Outdoors fit | 33 | 33 | 33 |
| Dating scene proxy | 34 | 54 | 27 |
Best-fit read
- Milwaukee, WI tends to score better for lower purchase budget.
- Wausau, WI tends to score better for lower rent.
- Appleton, WI tends to score better for higher local income.
- Wausau, WI tends to score better for career momentum.
- Appleton, WI tends to score better for remote-work fit.
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