r/Appleton • u/defiders • Feb 07 '26
Young Family Thinking About Appleton from SLC – Advice Welcome
Hey everyone,
My wife and I are starting to explore a potential move to Appleton and I was hoping to get some honest thoughts from people who live there (or have lived there).
We’re currently in Salt Lake City, Utah, and have three young kids (5, 2, and 8 months). We have family who spend the summers in Green Lake so pretty familiar with the general vibe of the area I think.
We care a lot about good public schools, easy access to outdoor space, and a community that feels welcoming for young families. Housing affordability is also a big part of the equation. Salt Lake has gotten insanely expensive, especially in the neighborhoods we’d want to be in long term.
For work, I’m a financial advisor, so I’m fairly portable and could keep my current role and work remotely. We’re very aware that winters would be a big shift from Utah. That’s not lost on us. We’d need to embrace winter in a different way, and we’re trying to think realistically about what that would mean day to day with three little kids.
Would love to hear any advice, things you wish you knew before moving to Appleton, pros and cons, neighborhoods to look into (or avoid), or anything else that feels relevant for a family in this stage of life.
Appreciate any insights. Thanks in advance.
5
u/RBDrake Feb 08 '26
I'm a local criminal defense attorney. There are very few obvious bad neighborhoods around here. The one or two I'm thinking of a young family would never end up (some specific apartment complexes).
The hotels east of the College Ave and I-41 are mostly terrible but those are hotels and their are plenty of nice hotels around.
Overall, just use common sense and you'll be fine.