Appleton, WI vs Kenosha, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Kenosha, WI spends 25% more per resident than Appleton, WI: $19,120 against $15,241. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Appleton, WI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 87/100 (grade A) against 72/100 (grade B) for Kenosha, WI — a 15-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Appleton, WI leads with health at $684 per resident, while Kenosha, WI leads with police at $2,544.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 15% of total revenue in Appleton, WI and 27% in Kenosha, WI.
Summary
Kenosha spends 20.3% more per capita than Appleton ($3,880/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 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $558 | $477 |
| Income Tax | $226 | $19 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,693 | $4,020 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,875 | $0 |
| Other | $1,817 | $1,853 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $2,544 |
| Fire Protection | $206 | $374 |
| Highways & Roads | $81 | $330 |
| Public Welfare | $2,412 | $0 |
| Health | $684 | $259 |
| Hospitals | $75 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $661 | $663 |
| Housing | $2,686 | $2,466 |
| Sewerage | $130 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,687 | $4,909 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,257 | $0 |
| Other | $4,363 | $7,574 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.