City comparison
Appleton, WI is about 30 miles (40 km) from Green Bay, WI in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 32 min 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 Appleton, WI to Green Bay, WI takes about 3 min, covering roughly 30 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.
Green Bay has a population of 106,846, vs 75,133 in Appleton — about 1.4× larger by population. By land area, Green Bay covers about 45 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 | Appleton | Green Bay | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $913/mo | $864/mo | 5.7% higher in Appleton |
| Median home value | $192,200 | $172,700 | 11.3% higher in Appleton |
| Median household income | $75,469 | $59,174 | 27.5% higher in Appleton |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 90.7 | 90.2 | 0.6% higher in Appleton |
| Transportation index | 99.2 | 99.2 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 99.4 | 99.4 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Appleton, you'd need $101,542 in Green Bay to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Appleton, WI is about 1.5% cheaper overall than Green Bay, WI, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 5% higher in Green Bay than in Appleton. If you earn $80,000 in Appleton, you'd need about $81,234 in Green Bay to keep the same standard of living.