Oshkosh, WI vs Appleton, 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: Oshkosh, WI leads with parks and recreation at $1,346 per resident, while Appleton, WI leads with health at $684.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 17% of total revenue in Oshkosh, WI and 15% in Appleton, WI.
Summary
Appleton spends 5.4% 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 | $1,987 | $1,550 |
| Sales Tax | $107 | $558 |
| Income Tax | $154 | $226 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,094 | $5,693 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,241 | $1,875 |
| Other | $3,339 | $1,817 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $173 | $206 |
| Highways & Roads | $127 | $81 |
| Education | $56 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,718 | $2,412 |
| Health | $601 | $684 |
| Hospitals | $113 | $75 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,346 | $661 |
| Housing | $2,296 | $2,686 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $130 |
| Utilities | $1,997 | $2,687 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,027 | $1,257 |
| Other | $4,956 | $4,363 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.