Average Rent in Appleton, WI: Latest Figures and What They Mean
Average rent in Appleton, Wisconsin depends on which source and measure you use, and the figures range from about $1,040 to $2,497 a month. This guide explains why and which number to budget with.
In this article
The average rent in Appleton, WI is about $1,350 a month across all bedroom counts and property types, as of October 25, 2026 [1]. Other trackers come in lower: $1,096 a month at Apartments.com, which is 34% below the national average of $1,667 [2].
Rent.com puts 2026 apartment averages between $995 and $1,439, with two-bedrooms averaging $995 [3]. Current listings ask more. The median on realtor.com is $2,497 across 103 active rentals [7].
The gap comes from what each figure measures. Averages blend older units and leases already in place, while active listings reflect what you would pay to move in now.
Why do the Appleton rent numbers differ so much?
The gap comes mostly from what each source counts: an average or a median, one bedroom size or all of them, and asking rents or rents paid by occupied units. Bedroom count and property type move the number more than anything else in the table.
An average can be pulled up by a few expensive units, while a median sits in the middle of the group. One luxury unit in a small set of listings raises the average more than it raises the median.
Unit size shows up clearly in the two-bedroom figures.
Zillow's $1,350 covers every bedroom count and property type, so it sits above the one-bedroom figure and below the listing median [1].
Listing figures show asking rents, not what occupied tenants pay. A few large or newly built units can push a set that small well above the others.
Which rent fits a one-bedroom or two-bedroom budget?
These numbers give you a starting point before you compare specific units.
One-bedroom budget
The average one-bedroom rent in Appleton is $1,039 a month, according to Rent.com [3]. That figure is an average, so some one-bedrooms will cost more and some less.
For apartments in general, Rent.com reports a 2026 range of $995 to $1,439 [3]. A budget below that figure sits under the lowest point in the range, so you should expect few units to fit it.
Two-bedroom budget
Rentable lists the average two-bedroom rent at $1,300 a month [4]. RentHop lists the average at $1,195 [5].
What do renting households in Appleton actually spend?
Renting households in Appleton typically paid about $1,060 a month, based on a median that covers 2020 to 2024 [6]. A median is the middle value, so half the households in that data paid more and half paid less. Because it spans five years, it works as a steady baseline rather than a snapshot of today's asking prices. To go further, see Is Appleton, WI a Good Place to Live? What the Data Shows.
Income is the other half of the picture. Typical monthly income among renting households was about $4,544 [6]. Put those two figures side by side and rent takes roughly 23% of monthly income. That share is a common way to test whether a rent fits a budget.
How to run the same test on your own numbers
Divide the monthly rent you are considering by your monthly income. Use the same kind of income figure for both sides of the comparison, so you are not mixing gross pay with take-home pay.
A lower share leaves more slack.
What do listing-based rent figures leave out?
Realtor.com shows a median of $2,497 across 119 active rental listings [7]. Because these are units currently on the market, the figure describes asking rents, not leases already signed. If you are setting a budget, read it as the price of what is available today.
A median is the middle value, but a small group of high-priced listings can still shift where that middle sits. The middle of that list moves up even though most units are far cheaper. With only 119 listings, a handful of larger or newer units can pull the listing median above what most current renters pay.
Apartments.com places Appleton 34% below the national average rent of $1,667 a month [2]. For someone moving from a costlier metro, that gap is a useful context point: Appleton sits well under the typical national rent. It does not tell you what any single apartment will cost.
Listing figures also leave out units that were rented earlier and are not advertised now. A tenant who signed a lease last year at a lower rate will never appear in asking-price data. Use the listing median to see what is on the market, and pair it with a longer-period figure before you commit.
How should you use these figures when planning a move to Appleton?
Start with your bedroom count. Pick the figure that matches the number of bedrooms you need, not the all-unit average, because rent rises with each added bedroom. A single overall number can point you to the wrong budget.
For a one-bedroom, Rent.com reports an average rent of $1,039 a month [3]. If you need two bedrooms, plan around that pair rather than the overall number.
Next, use a longer median as your baseline. USAFacts reports a median rent of about $1,060 per month for the Appleton area in 2020–2024 [6]. Because it covers several years, it shows what renters have typically paid, not what landlords happen to ask in one month.
Then compare that baseline with current listings for your bedroom count. If the listing figures for your unit size run well above the baseline, the older median will understate what you will pay today. Use the baseline to judge whether the market has moved, and the listings to see what you can rent now.
Finally, set your budget above the typical figure for your unit size. Rent.com reports a range of $995 to $1,439 for apartments in Appleton in 2026 [3]. A budget at the bottom of that range leaves you depending on the few cheapest units, so aim at or above the typical figure to keep more choices open.
Which Appleton rent figure should you trust?
The lowest figure in this set is $1,039 for a one-bedroom on Rent.com [3]. The highest is a $2,497 median across 119 active listings on Realtor.com [7]. That spread comes from how each figure is measured and which units it covers, so no single number settles the question.
Start with the figure that matches your bedroom count, then compare it with a longer median, such as the $1,060 USAFacts reports for 2020 to 2024 [6]. Each figure is a snapshot tied to its date, because rents move over time. Set your budget above the typical figure for your unit size so a move does not depend on the lowest listing.
Sources
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