City comparison
Abilene, TX is about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from Appleton, WI in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 1,300 miles, or about 21 hours (about 2 days at 10 h/day) behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Abilene, TX to Appleton, WI takes about 2 h 2 min, covering roughly 1,000 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Abilene has a population of 126,356, vs 75,133 in Appleton — about 1.7× larger by population. By land area, Abilene covers about 105 sq mi vs 25 sq mi for Appleton.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Abilene | Appleton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,060/mo | $913/mo | 16.1% higher in Abilene |
| Median home value | $161,800 | $192,200 | 18.8% higher in Appleton |
| Median household income | $59,254 | $75,469 | 27.4% higher in Appleton |
| Groceries index | 94.2 | 94.0 | ≈ equal (Abilene slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 82.4 | 90.7 | 10.1% higher in Appleton |
| Transportation index | 96.6 | 99.2 | 2.6% higher in Appleton |
| Healthcare index | 96.1 | 99.4 | 3.4% higher in Appleton |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Abilene, you'd need $100,012 in Appleton to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Abilene and Appleton have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 5% higher in Abilene than in Appleton. If you earn $80,000 in Abilene, you'd need about $80,009 in Appleton to keep the same standard of living.