City comparison
Appleton, WI is about 125 miles (200 km) from Kenosha, WI in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 150 miles, or about 2 h 30 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 Kenosha, WI takes about 14 min, covering roughly 125 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.
Kenosha has a population of 99,493, vs 75,133 in Appleton — about 1.3× larger by population. By land area, Kenosha covers about 29 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 | Kenosha | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $913/mo | $1,079/mo | 18.2% higher in Kenosha |
| Median home value | $192,200 | $194,400 | 1.1% higher in Kenosha |
| Median household income | $75,469 | $64,963 | 16.2% higher in Appleton |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 105.3 | 12.0% higher in Kenosha |
| Utilities index | 90.7 | 86.4 | 5.0% higher in Appleton |
| Transportation index | 99.2 | 100.0 | 0.8% higher in Kenosha |
| Healthcare index | 99.4 | 100.2 | 0.8% higher in Kenosha |
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 $113,900 in Kenosha to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Appleton, WI is about 12.2% cheaper overall than Kenosha, WI, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 34% higher in Kenosha than in Appleton. If you earn $80,000 in Appleton, you'd need about $91,120 in Kenosha to keep the same standard of living.