Skip to main content
Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Appleton, WI vs Madison, WI

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Madison spends 30.3% more per capita than Appleton ($6,618/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Appleton, WI
Pop. 75,133
A
87/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency81
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Madison, WI
Pop. 268,516
A
87/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency80
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Appleton
Madison
Total Spending
$1.1B
$5.9B
Spending / Capita
$15,241
$21,859
Total Revenue
$2.8B
$11.3B
Revenue / Capita
$37,069
$41,927
Total Debt
$0
$0
Debt / Capita
$0
$0
Population
75,133
268,516
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Appleton$206
Madison$264
Highways & Roads
Appleton$81
Madison$47
Parks & Recreation
Appleton$661
Madison$1,572
Education
Appleton$0
Madison$0
Health
Appleton$684
Madison$744

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

AppletonMadison
Property Tax
$1,550
$770
Sales Tax
$558
$1,178
Income Tax
$226
$32
Intergovernmental
$5,693
$7,913
Charges & Fees
$1,875
$1,755
Other
$1,817
$2,381

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

AppletonMadison
Fire Protection
$206
$264
Highways & Roads
$81
$47
Education
$0
$0
Public Welfare
$2,412
$1,769
Health
$684
$744
Hospitals
$75
$1,664
Parks & Recreation
$661
$1,572
Housing
$2,686
$3,100
Sewerage
$130
$166
Utilities
$2,687
$3,406
Interest on Debt
$1,257
$2,451
Other
$4,363
$6,676
A
Appleton, WI
Fiscal Health Score: 87/100
Excellent fiscal health
A
Madison, WI
Fiscal Health Score: 87/100
Excellent fiscal health

Compare More Cities