Green Bay, WI vs Appleton, 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: Green Bay, WI leads with parks and recreation at $999 per resident, while Appleton, WI leads with health at $684.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Green Bay, WI at 16% of total revenue, whereas Appleton, WI relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 15%.
Summary
Appleton spends 4.1% 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 | $90 | $1,550 |
| Sales Tax | $528 | $558 |
| Income Tax | $21 | $226 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,739 | $5,693 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,503 | $1,875 |
| Other | $4,494 | $1,817 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $231 | $206 |
| Highways & Roads | $47 | $81 |
| Public Welfare | $1,260 | $2,412 |
| Health | $0 | $684 |
| Hospitals | $12 | $75 |
| Parks & Recreation | $999 | $661 |
| Housing | $2,820 | $2,686 |
| Sewerage | $155 | $130 |
| Utilities | $3,114 | $2,687 |
| Interest on Debt | $892 | $1,257 |
| Other | $5,081 | $4,363 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.