Fox Cities Regional boundary is comprised of Outagamie County, Calumet County, Neenah zip code 54956, and Menasha zip code 54952.
Fox Cities Chamber Economic Prosperity Overview
Fox Cities Regional Partnership, the economic development division of the Fox Cities Chamber, is committed to helping businesses locate and expand in the Fox Cities Region. Located in east-central Wisconsin, along the banks of the Fox River and Lake Winnebago, the Fox Cities region includes Outagamie County, Calumet County, and northern Winnebago County.
Founded on a rich tradition of papermaking and printing, the Fox Cities Region boasts a strong workforce known for its productivity and work ethic. Some of our largest employers have called the region home for 100 years or more.
The future looks bright for businesses locating or expanding in the region. As one of the largest and fastest growing urban centers in Wisconsin, the Fox Cities Region not only has a growing population, but an large labor force living within 50 miles. Combine our work force with a low cost of doing business and access to superior high-tech training, and you have a powerful business environment.
Population grew by 12,560 over the last 5 years and is projected to grow by 11,823 over the next 5 years.
314,540
Fox Cities Total Regional Employment: Jobs decreased by 911 over the last 5 years but are projected to grow by 4,653 over the next 5 years.
177,564
Appleton MSA Labor Force
133,078
Demographics & Education
Population
Population, Jobs Trend and Forecast
Fox Cities Region: Hover over bars to display values
Population
Jobs
Population Growth Comparison
Area | 2018 Population | 2023 Population | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fox Cities Region | 301,980 | 314,540 | 12,560 | 4 |
| Wisconsin | 5,793,147 | 5,935,388 | 142,241 | 2 |
| Nation | 325,122,128 | 334,161,482 | 9,039,354 | 3 |
Population by Age Cohort
Age Cohort | 2018 Population | 2023 Population | Change | % Change | 2023 % of Cohort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 years | 14,354 | 13,379 | -975 | -7% | 5.43% |
| 5 to 9 years | 15,367 | 15,329 | -38 | -0% | 6.22% |
| 10 to 14 years | 16,281 | 16,237 | -44 | -0% | 6.59% |
| 15 to 19 years | 15,484 | 16,110 | 626 | 4% | 6.54% |
| 20 to 24 years | 13,989 | 14,533 | 544 | 4% | 5.9% |
| 25 to 29 years | 15,004 | 15,016 | 12 | 0% | 6.09% |
| 30 to 34 years | 15,619 | 16,121 | 502 | 3% | 6.54% |
| 35 to 39 years | 16,307 | 16,560 | 253 | 2% | 6.72% |
| 40 to 44 years | 14,582 | 16,730 | 2,148 | 15% | 6.79% |
| 45 to 49 years | 15,056 | 14,911 | -145 | -1% | 6.05% |
| 50 to 54 years | 17,028 | 15,172 | -1,856 | -11% | 6.16% |
| 55 to 59 years | 17,803 | 16,614 | -1,189 | -7% | 6.74% |
| 60 to 64 years | 15,092 | 17,048 | 1,956 | 13% | 6.92% |
| 65 to 69 years | 12,003 | 14,444 | 2,441 | 20% | 5.86% |
| 70 to 74 years | 8,731 | 11,380 | 2,649 | 30% | 4.62% |
| 75 to 79 years | 6,207 | 7,731 | 1,524 | 25% | 3.14% |
| 80 to 84 years | 4,101 | 4,972 | 871 | 21% | 2.02% |
| 85 years and over | 4,115 | 4,146 | 31 | 1% | 1.68% |
Population By Race
Fox Cities Region
Education Attainment & Pipeline
Educational Attainment by Race
Fox Cities Region
Race/Ethnicity | 2023 Population | 2023 Less Than High School | 2023 High School Diploma | 2023 College Degree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | 89.73% | 3.78% | 45.29% | 40.66% |
| Black | 1.12% | 0.24% | 0.56% | 0.31% |
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 1.25% | 0.09% | 0.78% | 0.38% |
| Asian | 2.98% | 0.61% | 1.17% | 1.2% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 0.05% | 0% | 0.01% | 0.04% |
| Two or More Races | 0.8% | 0.05% | 0.35% | 0.39% |
| White, Hispanic | 2.87% | 0.6% | 1.37% | 0.91% |
| Black, Hispanic | 0.09% | 0.02% | 0.04% | 0.03% |
| American Indian or Alaskan Native, Hispanic | 0.18% | 0.04% | 0.09% | 0% |
2023 ACS
Degrees by Institution
Appleton MSA
Institution | 2023 Completions | 2010-2023 Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Fox Valley Technical College | 3,541 | 1.9K 3.5K |
| Lawrence University | 431 | 0.4K 0.4K |
| Academy of Beauty Professionals | 68 | 0K 0.1K |
| The Salon Professional Academy-Appleton | 27 | 0K 0K |
| Empire Beauty School-Appleton (not current) | 0 | 0.1K 0K |
| Gill-Tech Academy of Hair Design (not current) | 0 | 0.1K 0K |
| Globe University-Appleton (not current) | 0 | 0K 0K |
Degrees by Program
Appleton MSA
Description | 2023 Completions | 2010-2023 Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 4,067 | 2.5K 4.1K |
| Health Professions and Related Programs | 784 | 0.8K 0.8K |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services | 519 | 0.2K 0.5K |
| Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians | 404 | 0.1K 0.4K |
| Precision Production | 386 | 0K 0.4K |
| Culinary, Entertainment, and Personal Services | 221 | 0.2K 0.2K |
| Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services | 221 | 0.2K 0.2K |
| Education | 193 | 0K 0.2K |
| Transportation and Materials Moving | 192 | 0.1K 0.2K |
| Construction Trades | 175 | 0.1K 0.2K |
Population by Educational Attainment
Fox Cities Region: (hover to display values)
Industry
Fox Cities Gross Regional Product
$22.5B
Payrolled Businesses
6,603
Industry Characteristics
Fox Cities Region: Data Sortable by Column (click header)
Industry | 2024 Jobs | 2024 Average Earnings Per Worker | 2024 LQ (Industry Concentration) | 2019-2024 % Change in Jobs | 2024 GRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 25,271 | $87,578 | 2.52 | -0.12% | 3915.19M |
| Retail Trade | 18,120 | $39,328 | 1.25 | 7.59% | 1378.77M |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 16,749 | $72,270 | 0.9 | 9.8% | 1388.32M |
| Government | 13,120 | $75,224 | 0.71 | -0.59% | 1091.27M |
| Construction | 12,481 | $93,501 | 1.37 | 11.24% | 1527.74M |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 11,286 | $24,463 | 0.99 | -0.14% | 423.85M |
| Finance and Insurance | 9,002 | $84,430 | 0.88 | 4.48% | 1306.8M |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 8,833 | $53,752 | 0.94 | -1.22% | 695.13M |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 8,678 | $39,655 | 0.96 | 2.85% | 395.47M |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 7,560 | $58,499 | 0.8 | 39.15% | 638.92M |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 7,045 | $82,759 | 0.58 | 13.33% | 829.8M |
| Wholesale Trade | 6,734 | $94,149 | 1.31 | 6.47% | 1524.21M |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 5,687 | $55,867 | 0.62 | 15.51% | 422.24M |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3,604 | $54,137 | 1.34 | 7.33% | 347.04M |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 3,190 | $21,556 | 0.91 | 4.21% | 90.24M |
| Educational Services | 2,650 | $32,345 | 0.68 | 8.89% | 99.84M |
| Information | 1,778 | $67,818 | 0.62 | -0.27% | 317.28M |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 1,113 | $140,265 | 0.49 | -31.33% | 179.98M |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 316 | $73,751 | 0.4 | 22.96% | 67.86M |
| Utilities | 207 | $151,737 | 0.44 | 36.3% | 136.71M |
Workforce & Employment
Unemployment Rate
2.3%
Cost of Living (Indexed to National Average of 100)
101.5
Occupation Concentration
Fox Cities Region: Data Sortable by Column (click header)
Profession | 2024 Jobs | 2024 Median Salary | 2024 Average Hourly Wage | 2024 LQ (Occupation Concentration) | 2019-2024 % Change in Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales and Related | 20,869 | $39,456 | $32.83 | 1.1 | 7.08% |
| Office and Administrative Support | 16,842 | $44,742 | $22.96 | 1.01 | -2.75% |
| Production | 16,684 | $49,352 | $24.92 | 2.31 | -5.79% |
| Transportation and Material Moving | 13,494 | $42,018 | $22.18 | 1.03 | 13.84% |
| Management | 11,844 | $88,591 | $53.2 | 0.77 | 29.89% |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | 10,863 | $29,644 | $15.3 | 1.03 | -1.65% |
| Business and Financial Operations | 10,684 | $74,493 | $47.96 | 0.81 | 32.6% |
| Construction and Extraction | 9,059 | $64,196 | $33.52 | 1.28 | 0.12% |
| Educational Instruction and Library | 7,400 | $52,852 | $29.18 | 0.95 | -4.63% |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | 6,856 | $59,811 | $29.62 | 1.19 | 0.12% |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | 6,703 | $80,304 | $51.91 | 0.83 | 4.59% |
| Healthcare Support | 5,625 | $37,271 | $19.55 | 0.85 | 11.37% |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | 4,736 | $36,533 | $19.5 | 0.86 | 10.31% |
| Personal Care and Service | 4,717 | $33,886 | $21.64 | 0.85 | 2.69% |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | 3,992 | $43,194 | $30.29 | 0.79 | 9.59% |
| Computer and Mathematical | 2,697 | $83,306 | $43.38 | 0.61 | -3.74% |
| Architecture and Engineering | 2,617 | $82,216 | $42.2 | 1.18 | -2.34% |
| Community and Social Service | 2,254 | $56,242 | $29.88 | 0.88 | 15.73% |
| Protective Service | 2,106 | $50,529 | $27.87 | 0.72 | 4.66% |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | 1,291 | $35,556 | $21.64 | 1.22 | 3.35% |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | 931 | $72,435 | $44.02 | 0.61 | 36.77% |
| Legal | 615 | $72,868 | $54.68 | 0.48 | 5.04% |
| Military-only | 282 | $61,797 | $32.89 | 0.41 | -6.46% |
Labor Participation & Unemployment
Unemployment and Labor Force Participation Rates
Fox Cities Region
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force Participation Rate
2020
5.4%
69.8%
2021
3%
69.6%
2022
2.4%
69.5%
2023
2.3%
69.5%
2024
2.5%
69.3%
January 2025
2.9%
68.1%
February 2025
3.1%
68.1%
March 2025
3%
68.4%
April 2025
2.8%
68.2%
Workforce Commute
Workforce Jobs, Residence, and Commute by Zip Code
Fox Cities Region: (hover to display values)
2023 Jobs
2023 Resident Workers
2023 Net Commuters
Jobs & Wages
Average Earnings Per Job
$69.9K
5-Year Projected Job Growth (2021-2026)
1.7%
Job Postings
Job Postings 5-Year Trend
5-Year Trend
Job Postings 30-Day Trend
Year over Year Trend
2025 Postings
2024 Postings
Job Postings by Industry
30-day % change (Hover to Display Values). Data from same period as above trend chart.
Industry Sector (2-Digit) | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1,302 | 5.8% |
| Manufacturing | 1,043 | -5.8% |
| Retail Trade | 929 | -6.1% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 898 | -0.4% |
| Wholesale Trade | 452 | -1.8% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 388 | -8.5% |
| Construction | 347 | 2% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 314 | -8.6% |
| Educational Services | 301 | -2% |
| Finance and Insurance | 214 | -15.9% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 168 | 1.8% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 126 | -7.9% |
| Information | 112 | -17.9% |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 65 | -3.1% |
| Public Administration | 34 | 23.5% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 30 | -33.3% |
| Utilities | 23 | -13% |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 18 | -33.3% |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 15 | -73.3% |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 12 | -8.3% |
Top 20 Companies
30-day % change (Hover to Display Values). Data from same period as above trend chart.
Company | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Gulfstream Aerospace | 134 | 1.5% |
| Appleton Area School District | 123 | 8.1% |
| Fox Valley Technical College | 121 | -2.5% |
| ThedaCare | 117 | -25.6% |
| Walmart | 92 | 27.2% |
| Ahlstrom Nonwovens | 79 | -35.4% |
| BioLife Plasma Services | 68 | 73.5% |
| Ascension | 67 | 7.5% |
| Pick And Save | 58 | 1.7% |
| Compass Group | 49 | 32.7% |
| Agropur | 45 | 6.7% |
| Hilton | 44 | -25% |
| YMCA | 44 | -50% |
| AriensCo | 43 | -46.5% |
| Festival Foods | 40 | -40% |
| Faith Technologies | 33 | 0% |
| Pierce Manufacturing | 29 | 10.3% |
| General Dynamics | 28 | -10.7% |
| Community Horizons | 27 | -11.1% |
| Fleet Farm | 27 | -29.6% |
Housing
Home Values in Region by County
Outagamie County
Winnebago County
Calumet County
Zillow
Rental Housing Cost in Region by County
Outagamie County
Winnebago County
ZillowCalumet Co. data not available.
Data
METHODOLOGY
This report includes 19,884 data points from 31 measures, collected from sources described below. We also estimated 0 data points based on our estimation and projection methodology.
Some of the summary data included in the report may not include suppressed data. Data suppression occurs in cases where private, identifying information would be disclosed. In most cases, this does not impact the total values presented in the report, but in cases where there are small industries or areas, data suppressions may reduce the accuracy of the data we can display.
SOURCES
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Lightcast, American Community Survey, Zillow, Bureau of Labor Statistics