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Appleton, WI housing market

Appleton, WI metro median sale price $349K in Jul–Sep 2026, up 2.2% year over year. Also days on market, price cuts, affordability and ZIP-code figures.

The median sale price in the Appleton, WI metro is $349K over Jul–Sep 2026, up 2.2% from the same 3 months a year earlier. That change sits near the middle of the 383 U.S. metros Pecan Street ranks on this measure. FHFA's repeat-sales index for the metro shows a larger change, up 5.1% through Q2 2026, 2.9 points apart; Price reconciliation below shows both.

On median sale price, Appleton ($349K) ranks 4th of the 13 Wisconsin metros Pecan Street tracks, between Green Bay ($365K) and Racine ($334K). On median days on market, Appleton (40 days) ranks 7th of the 13 Wisconsin metros, between Green Bay (44 days) and Janesville (40 days). Appleton ties Oshkosh for the lowest share of listings with a price cut of the 13 Wisconsin metros (21%).

Listings spent a median 40 days on market in Sep 2026, the 35th-fewest of the 385 metros. 21% of active listings carry a price cut; the 3-month average vs a year earlier is 15.1 points lower. That share is the 9th-lowest of the 385 metros. Building permits authorized 99 new housing units in Sep 2026.

At the 7.12% 30-year fixed rate with 20% down, principal and interest on a median-priced home come to $1,878 a month; at 28% of gross income, that takes about $80K a year. The median sale price equals about 17 years of HUD Fair Market Rent, a ratio unchanged from a year earlier. That ratio is higher than in most of the 373 metros. Active listings ask a median $206 per square foot; the 3-month average vs a year earlier is down 1.3%.

In seven of the eight ZIP codes in the table below, median list prices are lower than a year earlier; one is higher.

Headline

Median sale price

Jul–Sep 2026

$349K

+2.2% year-over-year

How it’s calculated

Average of the last three monthly median sale prices vs. the same three months a year earlier.

Mortgage rate

Nov 4, 2026

7.12%

30-year fixed

Where it comes from

National benchmark: Optimal Blue OBMMI 30-year conforming, via FRED. An average of rates borrowers have actually locked, updated daily.

The same rate appears on every market page.

Monthly payment

Principal & interest

$1,878/mo

$80K/yr income needed

How it’s calculated

Payment — this market’s median sale price with 20% down, on a 30-year fixed loan at the rate shown. Principal and interest only — no property tax, insurance, PMI or HOA.

Income needed — that payment at 28% of gross income. A rule of thumb, not a lending decision.

How Appleton compares to other U.S. metros

Price cuts↓377th of 385
Days on market↓351st of 385
Price-to-rent↑118th of 373 (top 32%)
Home-price growth191st of 383 (top 50%)

Rank across the U.S. metros Pecan Street tracks, on market data alone — a higher rank means more of that measure (more price cuts, faster price growth, a wider asking-vs-sale gap, a higher price-to-rent ratio, or more days on market). The bar shows where this metro sits within that metric’s own cohort (left is more, right is less); ↑ and ↓ mark the positions furthest from the middle, and rows are ordered the same way. Metrics without data for this metro are omitted.

Affordability

Price-to-rent ratio≈ 17 0.0% YoY
↑118th of 373 (top 32%)
Asking price / sq ft$206 -1.3% 3-month average vs a year earlier

Price-to-rent divides the median sale price by the annual HUD Fair Market Rent (a 3-bedroom, 40th-percentile benchmark), so it is a directional rent-vs-buy read, not a cap rate; its year-over-year change is directional in the same way. Asking price per square foot is the median across active for-sale listings (Realtor.com), as of Sep 2026. The bar under a figure places this metro among the U.S. metros we track on that measure, highest first.

Market pressure

Listings with a price cut≈ 21% -15.1 pts 3-month average vs a year earlier
↓377th of 385
New housing units permitted99

Price-cut share is the portion of active for-sale listings that have taken a price reduction (Realtor.com), as of Sep 2026. New housing units authorized by residential building permits in the metro that month — new supply in the pipeline, which counts of existing listings don't capture (US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey), as of Sep 2026. The bar under a figure places this metro among the U.S. metros we track on that measure, highest first.

Market facts

ZIPs with listing data8 shown of 24
MLS board of record—
Price methodologyRedfin vs FHFA HPI
Sale-price windowJul–Sep 2026

Recent signals

No signals flagged for this market right now.

Recent notable readings

Readings from the latest data that sit at one end of the U.S. metros Pecan Street tracks, from the nightly cross-metro comparison. They are not signal alerts.

Housing Economy

Appleton · ConstructionCOPIED

Appleton builders pulled 4.4% more single-family permits than a year earlier

Single-family building permits in the Appleton metro area, by month, one line per year, units

AprJulOct025507510020252026
AprJulOct025507510020252026
2024
Chart data
Month202420252026
Dec1516—
Nov3725—
Oct6567—
Sep454647
Aug404986
Jul595746
Jun636092
May646468
Apr667260
Mar494467
Feb474436
Jan285727

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey · data through September 2026

Builders in the Appleton metro area pulled 637 single-family permits in the twelve months through September 2026, 4.4% more than in the twelve months before. So far in 2026, permits are running 7.3% above the same months of 2025.

Why it matters. Permits come before starts, and starts come before new homes for sale, so this is the earliest read on how much new building is planned in the Appleton area. When the permit pipeline shrinks, buyers see fewer new-build options later; when it grows, sellers of existing homes face more competition from builders.

Appleton · Home pricesCOPIED

Appleton home prices are 5.1% higher than a year ago, the weakest gain since the third quarter of 2020

Home prices in the Appleton metro area, change from a year earlier, FHFA all-transactions index, quarterly, percent; shaded bars mark recessions

1990200020102020-6%0%6%12%18%Appleton
1990200020102020-6%0%6%12%18%Appleton
No changeRecession
Chart data
DateAppleton
Jun 20265.1%
Mar 20265.3%
Dec 20255.2%
Sep 20256%
Jun 20255.8%
Mar 20255.5%
Dec 20246.4%
Sep 20246.9%
Jun 20249%
Mar 202410.7%
Dec 20239.8%
Sep 202311.7%
Jun 202310.6%
Mar 202312.4%
Dec 202214.2%
Sep 202214.9%
Jun 202217.1%
Mar 202216.5%
Dec 202114.7%
Sep 202113.8%
Jun 202111.7%
Mar 20216.1%
Dec 20206.2%
Sep 20204.5%
Jun 20202.9%
Mar 20204.6%
Dec 20195.2%
Sep 20194.8%
Jun 20195.6%
Mar 20195.8%
Dec 20185.4%
Sep 20185.4%
Jun 20185.1%
Mar 20186.8%
Dec 20175.8%
Sep 20176.9%
Jun 20177.1%
Mar 20173.7%
Dec 20165.4%
Sep 20163.5%
Jun 20162.5%
Mar 20162.7%
Dec 20152%
Sep 20153.1%
Jun 20153%
Mar 20153.7%
Dec 20142.4%
Sep 20141.5%
Jun 20140.7%
Mar 2014-0.8%
Dec 2013-1%
Sep 2013-0.8%
Jun 20130.8%
Mar 20130.2%
Dec 20120.7%
Sep 20121.6%
Jun 20121.3%
Mar 2012-0.4%
Dec 2011-2.1%
Sep 2011-3.2%
Jun 2011-2.5%
Mar 2011-1.5%
Dec 2010-0.3%
Sep 2010-0.4%
Jun 2010-3.3%
Mar 2010-3.4%
Dec 2009-2.3%
Sep 2009-1.2%
Jun 2009-1%
Mar 2009-1.3%
Dec 2008-1.7%
Sep 2008-1.9%
Jun 20080.1%
Mar 20080.3%
Dec 20071.2%
Sep 20071.4%
Jun 20071.5%
Mar 20071.8%
Dec 20060.8%
Sep 20061.3%
Jun 20062.1%
Mar 20063.4%
Dec 20055.1%
Sep 20054.9%
Jun 20054.6%
Mar 20055.3%
Dec 20044.3%
Sep 20045.5%
Jun 20045%
Mar 20044.8%
Dec 20035%
Sep 20033%
Jun 20033.2%
Mar 20033.9%
Dec 20024%
Sep 20024.3%
Jun 20024.3%
Mar 20023.8%
Dec 20014.6%
Sep 20015.4%
Jun 20015%
Mar 20014.1%
Dec 20005.3%
Sep 20004.8%
Jun 20004.5%
Mar 20005.7%
Dec 19993.9%
Sep 19993.7%
Jun 19994.6%
Mar 19994.1%
Dec 19983%
Sep 19983.3%
Jun 19983.2%
Mar 19983.8%
Dec 19974.6%
Sep 19974.5%
Jun 19972.4%
Mar 19972.1%
Dec 19962.9%
Sep 19962.1%
Jun 19964.6%
Mar 19965%
Dec 19955.2%
Sep 19954.1%
Jun 19955.3%
Mar 19956.2%
Dec 19946.3%
Sep 19948.4%
Jun 19946.8%
Mar 19946.6%
Dec 19934.8%
Sep 19935%
Jun 19934.7%
Mar 19934.1%
Dec 19924.6%
Sep 19924.4%
Jun 19923.7%
Mar 19923.4%
Dec 19914.7%
Sep 19913%
Jun 19913.3%
Mar 19912.1%
Dec 19903.6%
Sep 19903.9%
Jun 19905.9%
Mar 19905.9%
Dec 19895%
Sep 19893.2%
Jun 19891.2%
Mar 19894.5%
Dec 1988-0.3%
Sep 19884.1%
Jun 19884.2%
Mar 19882.4%
Dec 19874.5%
Sep 19872.8%
Jun 19872.5%
Mar 19872.4%
Dec 19862.4%
Sep 19864%
Jun 19864.4%

Source: FHFA house price index; recession dates from NBER · data through Q2 2026

FHFA's all-transactions index for the Appleton metro area in the second quarter of 2026 was 5.1% above its level a year earlier. Since 1986, prices have risen an average of 4.1% a year. That is the weakest reading since the third quarter of 2020. Nationally, prices were 3.0% higher than a year earlier.

Why it matters. Long-run context shows how the latest change in Appleton home prices compares with the market's own history, including the recessions shaded on the chart. When appreciation slows, sellers have less room for a list price to run ahead of recent sales, and buyers feel less pressure to stretch to keep up; when it speeds up, the reverse holds: list prices can run ahead of recent sales and buyers compete harder.

Price reconciliation

amber · 2.9pp

Redfin (metro)

+2.2%

FHFA HPI · Q2 2026

+5.1%

Year-over-year home-price change from two independent methods — Redfin (sale prices over the last 3 months) and FHFA (quarterly repeat-sales index). When they diverge, the market is mid-shift; cite the figure with that in mind.

More markets in WI

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ZIP-level data

ZIPMedian list priceActive listingsNew listingsPrice reductionsDays on marketHome value
54130$375K↑69↑32↓20↑37↑$345K↑
54911$280K↓40↑20↓4↓32↑$279K↑
54913$485K↓85↑28↑20↓46↑$484K↑
54914$280K↓71↑36↓16↓30↓$312K↑
54915$390K↓83↑40↓2036↑$357K↑
54942$450K↓48↑8↑8↑52↑$472K↑
54944$489K↓38↑8↑4↑38↓$422K↑
54952$417K↓90↑24↑20↑45$288K↑

ZIP figures from Realtor.com listing data; home value from Zillow ZHVI. ZIP codes shown have the most complete listing-data history and active for-sale inventory in this metro; the latest available month is shown per ZIP. Arrows show the direction of each figure against the same three months a year earlier; no arrow means the change rounds to zero or the comparison isn't available.