Appleton vs Madison
The short version
- Appleton is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 5% lower than in the Madison area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $231,400 in Appleton and $372,900 in Madison.
- Madison is growing faster: +4.2% since 2020 vs -0.3%.
Side by side
| Appleton, WI | Madison, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 75,452 | 286,233 |
| Growth since 2020 | -0.3% | +4.2% |
| People per square mile | 2,968 | 3,423 |
| Median age | 37.5 | 31.8 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38% | 60% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $80,483 | $78,050 |
| Median home value | $231,400 | $372,900 |
| Home value to income | 2.9× | 4.8× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,030 | $1,413 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 92.4 | 97.3 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 70.8 | 99.7 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $69,300 | $73,000 |
| Homeowners | 67% | 46% |
| Top state income tax | 7.65% | 7.65% |
| Combined sales tax | 5.72% | 5.72% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 19.3 | 19.4 |
| Work from home | 13% | 21% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 5% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3.5% | 2.7% |
| Poverty rate | 8.3% | 16.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 25° / 10° | 27° / 12° |
| July high / low | 82° / 61° | 82° / 62° |
| Precipitation per year | 33 in | 37 in |
| Snowfall per year | 49 in | 52 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 6 | 9 |
| Nights below freezing | 157 | 147 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Low | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 79.7 | 93.9 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 72% | 66% |
| Home prices, past year | +5.1% | +4.9% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +56.8% | +49% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Appleton: May and July to September. Madison: May and August to September.
Full monthly tables: Appleton weather by month and Madison weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $69,300 in Appleton and $73,000 in Madison. Moving from Appleton to Madison, you would need about $79,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Appleton and Madison
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Appleton and Madison.
Which would you pick?
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