Appleton, WI vs Oshkosh, WI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Appleton, WI and Oshkosh, WI spend within 5.8% of each other per resident — $15,241 versus $14,411 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Oshkosh, WI edges Appleton, WI on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 88/100 (grade A) to 87/100 (grade A). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
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 Oshkosh, WI leads with parks and recreation at $1,346.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 15% of total revenue in Appleton, WI and 17% in Oshkosh, WI.
Summary
Appleton spends 5.8% more per capita than Oshkosh ($829/person difference). Oshkosh, WI has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 88/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1,550 | $1,987 |
| Sales Tax | $558 | $107 |
| Income Tax | $226 | $154 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,693 | $14,094 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,875 | $2,241 |
| Other | $1,817 | $3,339 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $206 | $173 |
| Highways & Roads | $81 | $127 |
| Education | $0 | $56 |
| Public Welfare | $2,412 | $1,718 |
| Health | $684 | $601 |
| Hospitals | $75 | $113 |
| Parks & Recreation | $661 | $1,346 |
| Housing | $2,686 | $2,296 |
| Sewerage | $130 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,687 | $1,997 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,257 | $1,027 |
| Other | $4,363 | $4,956 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.