Appleton ranked top U.S. housing market by Wall Street Journal and Realtor.com

The Wall Street Journal and Realtor.com named Appleton, Wisconsin, as the nation's top housing market based on strong local economic factors and inventory conditions.

FTMQ Real Estate, written by our newsroom30 October 2026 at 00:080 views

The Wall Street Journal and Realtor.com named the Appleton, Wisconsin metropolitan area as the top housing market in the United States, Scotsman Guide reported. The ranking came out one day after the Milwaukee Brewers won their first World Series title. [1]

Scotsman Guide reported that the midsized metro area gained the top position due to abundant housing inventory, buyer friendly pricing, and a strong local economy. The area also features a low cost of living and a below average unemployment rate. [1]

Appleton is the sixth most populous city in Wisconsin and sits roughly 100 miles north of Milwaukee, according to Scotsman Guide. The city is also home to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the High A affiliate team of the Milwaukee Brewers. [1]

Realtor.com Senior Economist Hannah Jones stated in the report that the housing market in Appleton demonstrates improving supply alongside steady demand. [1]

Appleton, Wisconsin was named the top U.S. housing market by The Wall Street Journal and Realtor.com.
The ranking was driven by abundant inventory, buyer-friendly pricing, and a below-average unemployment rate.
Appleton is located approximately 100 miles north of Milwaukee.

Sources

Every paragraph above points to the numbered items it rests on. Read the originals here.

[1]The nation’s top housing market is familiar to Brewers fansScotsman Guide, 5d ago (the report this story comes from)

Background

[2]2026 in the United States on Wikipedia

Our newsroom writes these reports with the help of software, from the 2 sources listed and nothing else, and checks them against those sources. Facts can still be wrong or move on; the originals are the record. Spotted a mistake? Write to daniel@monsterkong.com.

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