City · Minnesota
Appleton, Minnesota
Appleton, city, in Swift County, Minnesota. Appleton had 1,361 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.2% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,392 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,393 (±143). GEOID 2701864.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,361
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,392 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,393 ±143
Median household income
$43,958
±$9,191 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062
Median home value
$77,000
±$4,413 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300
Median gross rent
$717
±$302 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $1,280
Where is Appleton and what county is it in?
Appleton is a city in Swift County, Minnesota. It covers 1.9 square miles of land, 737 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Appleton, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,361 people lived in Appleton on July 1, 2025, down 2.2% since 2020, while Minnesota grew 2.2%. The 2020 Census counted 1,392 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,393 (±143).
| Measure | Appleton | Swift County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,393 ±143 | 9,748 | no clear change |
| Households | 596 ±73 | 4,121 | −121 |
| Average household size | 2.23 ±0.28 | 2.31 | +0.32 |
| Housing units | 725 ±69 | 4,706 | −105 |
Appleton's population since 2000
From 2,871 in 2000 to 1,361 in 2025: down 52.6%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Appleton as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Appleton?
The median resident of Appleton is 46.5 years old; 23.5% are under 18 and 28.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 76.9%, then non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander residents at 8.0%. 5.9% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Appleton | Swift County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.5 ±9.9 | 41.8 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 23.5% ±5.6 pts | 22.5% | – |
| 65 years and over | 28.4% ±5.1 pts | 23.5% | – |
| Male | 46.3% ±4.0 pts | 50.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 6.5% ±3.9 pts | 7.2% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 76.9% ±5.9 pts | 86.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.1% ±1.8 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 4.7% ±3.4 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 8.0% ±0.8 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.8% ±1.8 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.6 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 5.9% ±3.1 pts | 3.0% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 9.2% ±2.1 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.5% ±3.6 pts | 6.7% | – |
| With a disability | 22.8% ±4.7 pts | 19.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 10.2% ±4.1 pts | 8.1% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 88.3% ±3.9 pts | 93.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 15.0% ±4.7 pts | 24.2% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.4% ±1.6 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 88.3% ±3.6 pts | 88.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.2% ±1.5 pts | 1.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Appleton earn?
Half of Appleton's 596 households earn less than $43,958 a year (±$9,191), against $60,412 in Swift County and $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 it was $42,897 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 28.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Appleton | Swift County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $43,958 ±$9,191 | $60,412 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $53,851 ±$6,042 | $84,064 | – |
| Per capita income | $24,683 ±$2,647 | $36,134 | −$9,820 |
| People below the poverty line | 28.3% ±5.5 pts | 12.0% | +10.7 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 45.6% ±15.5 pts | 10.7% | +36.5 pts |
| Households receiving SNAP | 14.4% ±5.7 pts | 12.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 84.4% ±6.6 pts | 91.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 77.0% ±7.0 pts | 84.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Appleton?
Owners occupy 68.5% of Appleton's occupied homes and renters 31.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $77,000 by its owner (±$4,413). The median renter pays $717 a month including utilities, and 29.1% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Appleton | Swift County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $77,000 ±$4,413 | $161,400 | +$15,588 |
| Median gross rent | $717 ±$302 | $920 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 29.1% ±14.3 pts | 47.2% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,068 ±$309 | $1,373 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 68.5% ±6.8 pts | 72.4% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 31.5% ±6.8 pts | 27.6% | – |
| Housing units | 725 ±69 | 4,706 | −105 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±5.4 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 16.1% ±10.7 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 68.6% ±6.5 pts | 79.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±3.1 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.0% ±1.2 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.1% ±1.7 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 35.0% ±6.6 pts | 28.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 6.5% ±3.1 pts | 7.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Appleton building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Appleton in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 3.6 across Minnesota.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Appleton work and get to work?
69.3% of Appleton's workers drive alone and 5.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 22.9 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 6.3%.
| Measure | Appleton | Swift County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 48.2% ±5.9 pts | 59.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% ±3.9 pts | 4.4% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 69.3% ±8.0 pts | 77.1% | – |
| Carpooled | 16.7% ±7.0 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 1.1% ±1.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Walked | 7.8% ±3.9 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 5.0% ±3.2 pts | 7.5% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 22.9 min ±7.6 | 19.4 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Appleton?
No census tract lies mostly in Appleton; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9604Swift County | 2,192 | $59,539 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Appleton) · Census block assignment files
How does Appleton compare with other places in Minnesota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Appleton is the 9,120th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 310th-most populous of 855 in Minnesota.
Appleton ranks 554th of 558 places in Minnesota with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 310th | 855 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 478th | 556 |
| Residents per square mile | 270th | 562 |
| Median household income | 554th | 558 |
| Per capita income | 554th | 562 |
| Median home value | 558th | 559 |
| Median gross rent | 427th | 465 |
| Poverty rate | 5th | 461 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 539th | 559 |
| Median age | 126th | 561 |
| Owner-occupied share | 441st | 561 |
| Work from home | 497th | 525 |
| Travel time to work | 313th | 562 |
Appleton's figures with every place in Minnesota (CSV)
Every place in Minnesota, sortable · Compare Appleton with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Appleton?
11 of the 57 figures for Appleton on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Appleton are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Appleton.