Appleton, WI vs Green Bay, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Appleton, WI and Green Bay, WI spend within 4.3% of each other per resident — $15,241 versus $14,610 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Appleton, WI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 87/100 (grade A) against 77/100 (grade B) for Green Bay, WI — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Appleton, WI reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Green Bay, WI carries $542 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Appleton, WI leads with health at $684 per resident, while Green Bay, WI leads with parks and recreation at $999.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Appleton, WI at 15% of total revenue, whereas Green Bay, WI relies most on charges and fees at 16%.
Summary
Appleton spends 4.3% more per capita than Green Bay ($630/person difference). Appleton, WI has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 87/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1,550 | $90 |
| Sales Tax | $558 | $528 |
| Income Tax | $226 | $21 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,693 | $3,739 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,875 | $4,503 |
| Other | $1,817 | $4,494 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $206 | $231 |
| Highways & Roads | $81 | $47 |
| Public Welfare | $2,412 | $1,260 |
| Health | $684 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $75 | $12 |
| Parks & Recreation | $661 | $999 |
| Housing | $2,686 | $2,820 |
| Sewerage | $130 | $155 |
| Utilities | $2,687 | $3,114 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,257 | $892 |
| Other | $4,363 | $5,081 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.