Appleton, WI Metro Area
The Appleton, WI metro area is made up of 2 counties in Wisconsin: Outagamie and Calumet. About 249,876 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), 2.8% more than in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 249,876 2.8% more than in April 2020
- Type
- Metropolitan statistical area
- Counties
- 2, both central
- Land area
- 956 sq mi (2,476 km²)
- Time zone
- Central TimeUTC-06:00 in January; UTC-05:00 in July
- State
- Wisconsin
- Combined statistical area
- Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah, WI
- CBSA code
- 11540
Counties in the Appleton, WI metro area, largest first
| County | Role | Population, July 2025 | Share of the area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outagamie County | Central | 195,894 | 78.4% |
| Calumet County | Central | 53,982 | 21.6% |
A central county holds the area’s core, an urban area of at least 50,000 people. This area has no outlying counties: no neighboring county sends enough commuters to join it. A county belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal city
- Appleton75,023 people
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Part of the Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah, WI combined statistical area
OMB joins neighboring metro and micro areas into a combined statistical area when enough people commute between them. The other area in this one is
- Oshkosh-Neenah, WI Metro Area174,218 people
Bordering metro and micro areas, nearest first
Areas with a county on this area’s edge. Distances are straight lines between the areas’ largest cities.
- Oshkosh-Neenah, WI Metro Area20 mi southwest
- Green Bay, WI Metro Area26 mi northeast
- Fond du Lac, WI Metro Area35 mi south
- Shawano, WI Micro Area35 mi north
- Manitowoc, WI Micro Area37 mi east
- Sheboygan, WI Metro Area50 mi southeast
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
Find the metro area where you are now, find your county, or see every metro and micro area by population.