Appleton, WI — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

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Outagamie County · Appleton · population 75,344

Investors
Appleton, WI
Image: Wikipedia · Appleton, Wisconsin
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
76
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Appleton stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 7.4% in the last year. averaging 9.2% annual growth over 5 years.

Median home $302,027
1-year +7.4%
5-yr CAGR +9.2%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.1%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$302k$124k$187k$251k$314k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
78/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,189/mo$0$634$1,267202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent14212880100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 21.2
Lean rent

At a 21.2 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Appleton. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
83 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
84 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
44 · w16%
Rent YoY
66 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
83 · w10%
Long thesis

Appleton has averaged 9.2% annual appreciation over five years and the trend is still live (+7.4% in the last 12 months). When a momentum trade keeps working, the simplest explanation is usually correct: more people want in.

Short thesis

Appleton's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Appleton

Appleton is a city in Outagamie County, Wisconsin, with an estimated population of 75,344. The median home value in Appleton is $302,027 as of 2026-04, up 7.4% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +9.2% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Appleton average $1,189 per month, up 3.1% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 76 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Multi-year compounder: home values up an average 9.2% per year over the last 5 years — sustained, not a one-year pop.
●Trend still working: prices up 7.4% in the last 12 months — buyers are still chasing inventory.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Appleton (Wikipedia)

Appleton is 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.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorJake Woodford
Area25.29 sq mi
Elevation790 ft
Settled1847
Density2989.15/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Outagamie County right now.

NWS active alerts (WI)Wisconsin Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Outagamie County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Appleton

9 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Colony Oaks$358,192+5.5%
2Alicia Park$331,638+5.0%
3Erb Park$287,845+6.8%
4Peabody Park$280,222+10.9%
5Lawrence-City Park$264,523+11.4%
6Huntley$263,444+9.2%
7Old Third Ward$261,170+10.1%
8Downtown$235,154+6.4%
9Central$228,475+7.4%

Cities like Appleton

Beloit, WI77 · RisingGreen Bay, WI74 · RisingWausau, WI79 · HotManitowoc, WI77 · Rising

Run the numbers for Appleton

ToolCan I afford Appleton?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Appleton rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Appleton to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolAppleton cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
27° / 11°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
81° / 60°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
188
~52% of year
Annual precip
33″ rain
47″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Moderate
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
Low

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Appleton listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Appleton area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
73%
Humid climate
Median household income
$72,500
Wisconsin state median
Top industries (state-level)
ManufacturingHealthcareDairy/Food

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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