City comparison
Appleton, WI is about 90 miles (150 km) from Milwaukee, WI in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 100 miles, or about 1 h 45 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 Milwaukee, WI takes about 10 min, covering roughly 90 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.
Milwaukee has a population of 573,299, vs 75,133 in Appleton — about 7.6× larger by population. By land area, Milwaukee covers about 96 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 | Milwaukee | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $913/mo | $982/mo | 7.6% higher in Milwaukee |
| Median home value | $192,200 | $157,800 | 21.8% higher in Appleton |
| Median household income | $75,469 | $49,733 | 51.7% higher in Appleton |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 90.7 | 91.6 | 1.0% higher in Milwaukee |
| 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 $112,183 in Milwaukee to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Appleton, WI is about 10.9% cheaper overall than Milwaukee, WI, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 34% higher in Milwaukee than in Appleton. If you earn $80,000 in Appleton, you'd need about $89,747 in Milwaukee to keep the same standard of living.