METRO AREA
Appleton Metro
Appleton, WI · 2 counties · 249,876 residents (2025 est.) · 956 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#7Lowest poverty rateof 9256.2%The short version
With 245,768 people, Appleton is a metro area. That puts it in the top 2% of US metro areas for household income. 4% of residents were born outside the United States. Owners hold 73% of the housing stock. Growth has run 22% since 2000, or 44,166 more people. The poverty rate is 6.2%, under the national 12.5%.
At a glance
Average income
median household income $85,875, near the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.5
US median: 38.9
Average education
33% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 39%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Appleton
What changed most since 1990
- White share96.9% → 85.4% (−11.5 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
- Hispanic share0.6% → 5.4% (+4.7 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Among the 26 metro and micro areas based in Wisconsin
- 2nd in household income$85,875
- 5th in share with a bachelor's degree32.8%
- 5th in home value$268,786
- 11th in diversity score33.0
Section 01
Population & growth
245,768
+22%since 2000
from 201,602 in 2000
249,876 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
956 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024246K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.6%(13,648)
5 to 96.6%(16,270)
10 to 146.4%(15,718)
15 to 196.5%(16,061)
20 to 245.8%(14,306)
25 to 3412.7%(31,234)
35 to 4413.6%(33,332)
45 to 5412.3%(30,195)
55 to 6413.8%(33,917)
65 to 7410.2%(25,006)
75 to 844.6%(11,340)
85 and over1.9%(4,741)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$85,875
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $50,209 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
56.9%
+22.1 ptssince 2009
from 34.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade22.2%
Information9.8%
Other services7%
Wholesale trade6.8%
Public administration5.9%
Finance & insurance5.1%
Professional, scientific, technical4.4%
Transportation & warehousing3%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.8%
Construction1.7%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
Education & health services0.6%
Manufacturing0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$268,786
+39%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $106,364 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
3.1
+19%since 2009
from 2.6 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
57
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic93.6%(188,706)
Black0.5%(955)
Hispanic / Latino1.8%(3,642)
Asian2.1%(4,191)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic85.4%(209,973)
Black1.4%(3,355)
Hispanic / Latino5.4%(13,193)
Asian3.5%(8,513)
Other4.4%(10,734)
33
+71%since 2009
from 19 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
26
−13%since 2020
from 30 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican3.9%(9,483)
Puerto Rican0.4%(1,052)
Central American0.3%(784)
South American0.3%(634)
Spaniard0.1%(290)
Guatemalan0.1%(288)
Venezuelan0.1%(237)
Cuban0.1%(214)
Colombian0.1%(183)
Honduran0.1%(169)
Salvadoran0.1%(149)
Argentine0.1%(143)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Dominican0.1%(132)
Nicaraguan0%(96)
Costa Rican0%(41)
Peruvian0%(31)
Panamanian0%(30)
Paraguayan0%(24)
Bolivian0%(12)
Ecuadorian0%(4)
Asian origin
Hmong2.1%(5,118)
Asian Indian0.4%(1,011)
Chinese0.2%(498)
Vietnamese0.2%(412)
Filipino0.2%(398)
Korean0.1%(367)
Nepalese0.4%(209)
Laotian0.1%(199)
Japanese0.1%(100)
Sri Lankan0%(42)
Thai0%(40)
Kazakh0.1%(39)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Ancestry
German43.4%(106,595)
Irish9.8%(24,012)
Dutch7.2%(17,584)
Polish6.4%(15,718)
English5.4%(13,327)
Norwegian3.6%(8,917)
American3.5%(8,578)
French2.9%(7,059)
Italian2.1%(5,168)
Swedish1.6%(3,845)
French Canadian1%(2,410)
Scottish1%(2,375)
+ 41 more ancestry groups with data
Czech0.9%(2,292)
Belgian0.9%(2,198)
Danish0.6%(1,431)
Finnish0.5%(1,323)
Russian0.4%(1,095)
Subsaharan African0.4%(1,006)
Scotch-Irish0.3%(665)
Hungarian0.3%(649)
Swiss0.2%(558)
British0.2%(524)
Welsh0.2%(486)
Austrian0.2%(444)
Greek0.2%(374)
Croatian0.1%(339)
Slovene0.1%(276)
Canadian0.1%(250)
West Indian0.1%(234)
Ukrainian0.1%(229)
Nigerian0.1%(224)
Arab0.1%(210)
Iranian0.1%(194)
Latvian0.1%(187)
Slovak0.1%(186)
Lebanese0.1%(185)
Lithuanian0.1%(179)
Bulgarian0.1%(141)
Serbian0.1%(137)
Brazilian0.1%(129)
Portuguese0%(122)
Jamaican0.1%(101)
Romanian0%(77)
Kenyan0.1%(68)
Haitian0%(67)
Ethiopian0%(46)
Armenian0%(33)
Turkish0%(30)
Macedonian0%(25)
Australian0%(12)
Palestinian0%(8)
Syrian0%(8)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
95.0%
+7.0 ptssince 2000
from 88.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
81.1%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 81.8% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
95.4%
+3.2 ptssince 2020
from 92.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married32.3%(32,394)
Married56.9%(57,090)
Widowed2.5%(2,474)
Divorced8.3%(8,357)
Women 15+
Never married25.7%(25,689)
Married55.7%(55,602)
Widowed7.4%(7,369)
Divorced11.2%(11,157)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
12.4%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 13.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
2.0%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 1.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
77.1%
−2.3 ptssince 2020
from 79.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
29.5%
+2.9 ptssince 2020
from 26.6% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)24%(2,701)
Gulf War (1990s)19.9%(2,237)
Vietnam era34.5%(3,887)
Korean War5.8%(650)
World War II1.1%(119)
Share of the 11,258 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Appleton, decade by decade
| Year | Population | Median household income | Median home value | Bachelor's degree+ | Diversity score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 174,801 | $81,182 | $152,564 | 15.9% | 7.5 |
| 2000 | 201,602 | $91,463 | $193,758 | 22.2% | 15.3 |
| 2010 | 225,666 | $82,238 | $222,444 | 25.7% | 22.8 |
| 2020 | 243,147 | $84,946 | $217,756 | 30.0% | 33.0 |
| 2024 | 245,768 | $85,875 | $268,786 | 32.8% | 33.0 |
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
In this metro
Largest cities
AppletonCENTRAL75,452Kaukauna18,517Menasha18,385Harrison14,492Little Chute11,800New London7,726Kimberly7,556Chilton4,183Kiel3,973Seymour3,628Combined Locks3,626Hortonville3,340Brillion3,327Sherwood3,311New Holstein3,040Black Creek1,335Hilbert1,237Shiocton935Dale707Stockbridge654Forest Junction594Bear Creek418Nichols287Brothertown258Potter232
What's inside
2 component counties
Drill deeper
Metros similar to Appleton
Hilton Head Island
Pop 242,966
Norwich
Pop 284,015
Bellingham
Pop 236,392
Bend
Pop 266,376
Places similar to AppletonHead to head
Compare Appleton side by side
APPLETON VS
Hilton Head Island
Income$83,609−3%
Home value$437,202+63%
Population242,966−3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
APPLETON VS
Norwich
Income$86,586+1%
Home value$323,400+20%
Population284,015+14%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
APPLETON VS
Bellingham
Income$81,784−5%
Home value$585,800+118%
Population236,392−5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
APPLETON VS
Bend
Income$90,045+5%
Home value$605,107+125%
Population266,376+7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Appleton, WI?
Appleton, WI has about 245,768 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Appleton, WI?
The typical household in Appleton, WI earns about $85,875 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Appleton, WI expensive?
In Appleton, WI, the median home is worth about $268,786, and the typical rent is about $1,060 a month.
How educated are people in Appleton, WI?
About 32.8% of adults age 25 and over in Appleton, WI hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Appleton, WI?
About 6.2% of people in Appleton, WI live below the federal poverty line.
Has Appleton, WI grown since 1990?
Yes, Appleton, WI has grown since 1990. The population has added about 70,967 residents, a change of about 41 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024