Wisconsin

Buying Land in Outagamie County, Wisconsin

Outagamie County, seat Appleton, is the core of the Fox Valley -- one of Wisconsin's fastest-growing regions, and the sixth-most-populous county in the state. County zoning covers most of the county's unincorporated land, with a confirmed recent exception in the Town of Buchanan, and the county has built real farmland-preservation infrastructure to manage growth pressure on the agricultural land that's left.

County Zoning Covers Most Towns -- Buchanan Is a Confirmed, Recent Exception

Case-by-case / verify locally

Outagamie County's Chapter 54 general zoning ordinance applies in the unincorporated areas of the county's towns, but the Town of Buchanan adopted its own separate zoning ordinance under Wis. Stat. sec. 60.62 in 2024 (Town Board Ordinance No. 2024-01, approved by the county on May 28, 2024). This research pass confirmed Buchanan as an exception but did not individually verify every other town's status -- confirm directly with Outagamie County Development and Land Services (or the specific town) which authority governs a given parcel.

Growth Pressure Has Produced Real Farmland-Preservation Rules to Check

Case-by-case / verify locally

Outagamie County contains three named Agricultural Enterprise Areas (Cicero Blackmour, Greenville Greenbelt, and Three Rivers) and, as of 2023, seven towns plus the Village of Greenville had adopted farmland preservation zoning. If a parcel sits inside an AEA or a farmland preservation zoning district, it can carry subdivision restrictions and tax-credit eligibility that a standard rural parcel elsewhere in the county wouldn't. See our dedicated zoning page for what this means for a specific parcel.

The County Is Genuinely Fast-Growing

Generally favorable

Outagamie County is the sixth-most-populous county in Wisconsin (roughly 197,000 residents in 2026 estimates, up from 190,705 at the 2020 census) and has historically ranked among the state's ten fastest-growing counties over a 30-year span. That growth is a genuine tailwind for land values in the Fox Valley, but it also means development pressure -- and the zoning/subdivision review that comes with it -- is a live, ongoing dynamic here rather than a settled backdrop.

Zoning: countywide, with a confirmed exception in Buchanan

Outagamie County Development and Land Services (320 South Walnut Street, Appleton, WI 54911; (920) 832-5255) administers the county's general zoning ordinance (Chapter 54, adopted pursuant to Wis. Stat. sec. 59.69 and 59.694) in unincorporated territory across the county's 19 towns, and has no jurisdiction within any incorporated city or village -- including Appleton, Kaukauna, and Seymour, each of which runs independent municipal planning and zoning. Grand Chute, a large and heavily-developed unincorporated town bordering Appleton, remains under this county zoning structure: its own zoning atlas is titled as part of the county framework, with amendments approved by the Outagamie County Board of Supervisors.

The Town of Buchanan is a confirmed, recent exception. Its Town Board adopted its own independent zoning ordinance (Ordinance No. 2024-01) on March 19, 2024, under the authority of Wis. Stat. sec. 60.62, and Outagamie County approved that change on May 28, 2024, at which point it took effect -- meaning Buchanan now administers its own zoning rather than falling under the county's Chapter 54. This research pass confirmed Buchanan specifically but did not individually audit every other town, so confirm directly with the county or the relevant town clerk which zoning authority governs a specific parcel, particularly for any of the county's smaller or more rural towns not named above.

Growth pressure and farmland preservation

Outagamie County sits squarely in the growth path of the Fox Cities metro area, and the county has built real, mapped infrastructure in response. The county contains three Agricultural Enterprise Areas (AEAs) -- Cicero Blackmour, Greenville Greenbelt, and Three Rivers. The Greenville Greenbelt AEA, established in 2015 and covering more than 6,100 acres in and around the (now-Village of) Greenville, was created explicitly in response to residential and commercial development pressure from the greater Fox Cities metro area. As of 2023, seven of the county's towns plus the Village of Greenville had adopted farmland preservation zoning, and landowners inside an AEA who sign a 15-year preservation agreement can claim a per-acre tax credit ($5/acre generally, $10/acre if the land also sits in a farmland preservation zoning district).

Greenville specifically has layered multiple protections -- the greenbelt designation, AEA status, and farmland preservation zoning -- and has reportedly been developing a Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program alongside subdivision restrictions aimed at slowing farmland conversion. For a buyer evaluating any parcel with agricultural zoning or history in this part of the county, confirm whether it sits inside an AEA or a farmland preservation zoning district before assuming standard subdivision or rezoning rights apply -- see our dedicated zoning page for the mechanics.

Septic, wells, GIS/records, and agricultural extension

Outagamie County Development and Land Services also administers POWTS (septic) permitting for the unincorporated county, applying the statewide SPS 383 design standard, alongside stormwater/erosion control and MS4 permitting. Private wells fall under the Wisconsin DNR's statewide NR 812 well-construction rules rather than a county permit; the county's Land Conservation Department (3365 West Brewster Street, Appleton, WI 54914; (920) 832-5073) supports groundwater and conservation programming, and Outagamie County Public Health offers bacteria-only well-water testing.

For parcel research, the Outagamie County Register of Deeds ((920) 832-5095) holds recorded deeds, easements, and plats, and the County Treasurer ((920) 832-5665) handles property tax payment; the county's GIS Maps & Property Information portal provides parcel data online. UW-Madison Division of Extension's Outagamie County office (3365 West Brewster Street, Appleton, WI 54914; (920) 832-5126) supports the county's agriculture and horticulture base through educators including a Regional Crops and Soils Educator.

What we could and couldn't confirm

Direct WebFetch access to outagamie.gov, outagamie.org, and library.municode.com was blocked by a network egress restriction throughout this research pass, so the Town of Buchanan zoning exception, the farmland-preservation program details, and department contact information reflect WebSearch-indexed content rather than a full verbatim read of the underlying ordinance text. This page confirmed Buchanan's 2024 shift to its own zoning ordinance under Wis. Stat. sec. 60.62 via eCode360's hosted copy of the town's own Chapter 525, but did not individually audit every one of the county's other 18 towns for a similar exception -- treat Buchanan as a confirmed exception, not as evidence the remaining towns are all under standard county zoning without exception. The Agricultural Enterprise Area and farmland-preservation figures (three AEAs, 6,100+ acre Greenville Greenbelt, seven towns plus the Village of Greenville participating as of 2023) are drawn from the county's own Farmland Preservation Plan document and secondary reporting (Mid-West Farm Report); the PDR-program status in Greenville was described only in general terms in available sources and was not independently confirmed as adopted.

Verify directly with: Outagamie County Development and Land Services ((920) 832-5255) for zoning, septic, and permit questions on a specific parcel, the Town of Buchanan directly for its own zoning ordinance, and the Outagamie County Land Conservation Department ((920) 832-5073) for Agricultural Enterprise Area and farmland-preservation zoning questions

Who to Call Before Buying Land in Outagamie County

Direct WebFetch access to outagamie.gov, outagamie.org, and library.municode.com was blocked by a network egress restriction throughout this research pass, so department details, the Buchanan zoning exception, and the farmland-preservation program details reflect WebSearch-indexed content rather than a full verbatim read of primary ordinance text -- confirm current staff, fees, and a specific town's zoning status before relying on this page for a specific parcel.

Planning & Zoning

Outagamie County Development and Land Services

Zoning district lookups, confirming whether a parcel is under county Chapter 54 zoning or the Town of Buchanan's own ordinance, rezoning, and permits.

Phone: (920) 832-5255Official website →

Building & Permitting

Outagamie County Development and Land Services

Zoning and land-use permit applications for unincorporated county land.

Phone: (920) 832-5255Official website →

Septic / Onsite Wastewater

Outagamie County Development and Land Services -- Sanitary

POWTS (septic) sanitary permits under statewide SPS 383 standards.

Phone: (920) 832-5255Official website →

Wells / Private Water

Wisconsin DNR -- Wells Program

Private well construction rules (NR 812) and certified well-driller lookups statewide, including Outagamie County.

Phone: (608) 266-1054Official website →

Environmental Health

Outagamie County Public Health

Bacteria-only private well-water testing.

Phone: (920) 832-5100Official website →

Floodplain / Stormwater

Outagamie County Development and Land Services

Stormwater/erosion control and MS4 permitting for the unincorporated county.

Phone: (920) 832-5255Official website →

GIS / Parcel Records

Outagamie County GIS Maps & Property Information

Parcel mapping, GIS data, and property information.

Phone: (920) 832-5255Official website →

Recorder / Clerk / Land Records

Outagamie County Register of Deeds

Recorded deed, easement, and plat history for a specific parcel.

Phone: (920) 832-5095Official website →

Assessor / Property Tax

Outagamie County Treasurer

Property tax payment, records, and agricultural-use conversion charges.

Phone: (920) 832-5665Official website →

Agricultural Extension

UW-Madison Division of Extension, Outagamie County

Agriculture, crops/soils, and horticulture guidance for the county, including farmland preservation and access questions.

Phone: (920) 832-5126Official website →

Other

Outagamie County Land Conservation Department

Agricultural Enterprise Area and farmland preservation program questions, groundwater protection.

Phone: (920) 832-5073Official website →

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Topics Specific to Outagamie County

Zoning in Outagamie County: The Buchanan Exception and Growth-Pressure Farmland Rules →

Sources

Land Use, Zoning, and Sanitary — Outagamie County, Wisconsin Government (accessed 2026-09)
Zoning — Outagamie County, Wisconsin Government (accessed 2026-09)
Chapter 54 -- Zoning, Article I -- In General — Outagamie County, Wisconsin Government (via Municode) (accessed 2026-09)
Town of Buchanan, WI Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 525, adopted March 19, 2024) — Town of Buchanan, Wisconsin Government (via eCode360) (accessed 2026-09)
Farmland Preservation Plan — Outagamie County, Wisconsin Government (accessed 2026-09)
Preserving our Roots, Securing our Future: Outagamie County Farmland Preservation Plan — Outagamie County, Wisconsin Government (accessed 2026-09)
Outagamie Group Preserves Farmland — Mid-West Farm Report (accessed 2026-09)
Farmland Protection and Farmland Access — University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension (accessed 2026-09)
Outagamie County, Wisconsin — Wikipedia (accessed 2026-09)
Outagamie County, WI — Data USA (accessed 2026-09)
GIS Maps & Property Information — Outagamie County, Wisconsin Government (accessed 2026-09)
Register of Deeds — Outagamie County, Wisconsin Government (accessed 2026-09)
Extension Outagamie County — University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension (accessed 2026-09)
Wisconsin Administrative Code, Chapter SPS 383 — Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (accessed 2026-09)

Last reviewed 2026-09