Overall
91.6
Below avg
Metro cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP
Fond du Lac, WI
Cost-of-living indicators for Fond du Lac, WI, from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100.
- 91.6
- Overall RPP
- #255
- of 387 metros
- 67.3
- Rents RPP
- $109K
- $100K national buys
Fond du Lac ranks #255 of 387 U.S. metros by cost, and its overall price index has risen 8.2 points since 2008.
- rising since 2008
- similar cost to Birmingham
The verdict
Fond du Lac costs less than 66% of U.S. metros, an overall index of 91.6, 8.4% below the national average, with rents the biggest swing at 67.3.
- bottom 34%
- by overall cost, nationwide
- 93.8
- goods RPP, tradable items
- 91.1
- services RPP, labor-priced
A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $109,119 here; matching a $100K lifestyle takes roughly $91,643.
Latest BEA release change
What changed from 2023 to 2024
Fond du Lac's overall RPP fell -1.3 points, from 93.0 in 2023 to 91.6 in 2024. The largest category movement was rents, changing from 77.6 to 67.3. This is a relative change against the national benchmark, not a household's dollar bill.
RPP History (2008-2024)
The cost of living has been trending upward, increasing by 8.2 points over this period. The largest single-year move was in 2018, when the index jumped 5.2 points from the year before.
Fond du Lac overall RPP, 2008-2024
Every year on record, national average = 100
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 83.4 |
| 2009 | 86.0 |
| 2010 | 88.8 |
| 2011 | 87.7 |
| 2012 | 91.0 |
| 2013 | 91.1 |
| 2014 | 90.0 |
| 2015 | 89.6 |
| 2016 | 88.2 |
| 2017 | 87.1 |
| 2018 | 92.3 |
| 2019 | 93.0 |
| 2020 | 91.2 |
| 2021 | 92.2 |
| 2022 | 89.4 |
| 2023 | 93.0 |
| 2024 | 91.6 |
Housing-led affordability profile
How Fond du Lac's cost structure works
Housing is the strongest affordability offset in Fond du Lac: rents index at 67.3, the component furthest below the national benchmark. That does not make every local expense low, but it is the clearest explanation for the metro's overall RPP of 91.6.
Across all reported metros, the closest component-profile matches are Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL, La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN, Wichita, KS. They resemble Fond du Lac across goods, services, and rents together, so they are stronger structure peers than a place selected only because its overall RPP happens to be nearby.
Across 2008-2024, Fond du Lac's overall index has risen by 8.2 points. This is a relative price-level history, not a prediction or a personal affordability recommendation; pair it with current local wages and housing options before making a decision.
Fond du Lac vs every U.S. metro
Where this metro sits in the national cost distribution
92 Bottom 34% higher than 34% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities · 2024
Fond du Lac cost breakdown
BEA RPP by category, 100 = national average
- Rents
Rents
67.3 RPP
- Services
Services
91.1 RPP
- Overall
Overall
91.6 RPP
- Goods
Goods
93.8 RPP
What this shows Fond du Lac's cost structure is housing-led: rents at 67.3 depart furthest from 100, while services sits at 91.1. This is a rent-sensitive profile, not a claim that every local expense moves together.
Goods vs. housing, where Fond du Lac's cost comes from
Metros near Fond du Lac's overall cost, plotted by their goods price (horizontal) and housing price (vertical). Same headline RPP, very different structures.
Read the chart as text
- Fond du Lac (Fond du Lac, this metro): goods RPP 93.8, rents RPP 67.3
- Birmingham: goods RPP 96.4, rents RPP 71.9
- Michigan City: goods RPP 94.3, rents RPP 68.5
- Des Moines: goods RPP 93.7, rents RPP 84.7
- Lincoln: goods RPP 94.1, rents RPP 84.2
- Evansville: goods RPP 94.3, rents RPP 66.7
- Pueblo: goods RPP 96.1, rents RPP 71.3
Price Index Summary
Goods
93.8
Below avg
Services
91.1
Below avg
Rents
67.3
Cheap
Salary Equivalent
A $100,000 salary at the national average cost of living equals:
$91,643
in Fond du Lac, WI purchasing power
$50,000 nationally
$45,822
$75,000 nationally
$68,732
$125,000 nationally
$114,554
$150,000 nationally
$137,465
$200,000 nationally
$183,286
Use the salary calculator for custom amounts.
Affordability score
C
73/100
How far the median local paycheck goes here, combining income and housing cost
Purchasing power
Not reported
Housing affordability C
73rd percentile
A weighted composite (60% purchasing power, 40% housing affordability) percentile-ranked against every other tracked metro; a missing input redistributes its weight rather than deflating the score. Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 (income) + BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 (cost). Vintages differ by design; see methodology.
WI-relative analysis
Goods prices places Fond du Lac, WI near the bottom of WI's metros
Among the 13 WI metros PlainCost tracks with reported goods prices data, Fond du Lac, WI ranks #3 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide rank above: it compares Fond du Lac, WI only against its own state's metros, not the full US field.
Goods prices
#3 of 13
0th percentile in WI
Services prices
#2 of 13
85th percentile in WI
Rent prices
#13 of 13
0th percentile in WI
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "more expensive is worse", see the national comparison above for direction context. This is a comparison within WI only, not a livability score.
Nationwide metros with similar overall cost or rent prices
Two BEA RPP-derived peer sets for Fond du Lac, WI: nearest metros by overall regional price parity and by rents RPP. These are cross-state neighborhoods, not the in-state metro list below.
Similar overall RPP
Nearest metros by overall regional price parity (91.6 here).
Similar rents RPP
Nearest metros by rents regional price parity (67.3 here).
Other WI Metros
Kenosha, WI 101.1 Madison, WI 97.3 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI 96.9 Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI 96.0 Sheboygan, WI 94.0 Janesville-Beloit, WI 93.7
View all WI metros → Cheapest in WI → Most expensive in WI →
Decision peers
Metros with a similar cost mix
These metros are closest to Fond du Lac's combined goods, services, and rents profile. They may not have the same overall RPP, but their price pressures are shaped in a similar way.
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
Goods 94.2 · Services 89.9 · Rents 68.3 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN
Goods 93.8 · Services 89.5 · Rents 69.4 Wichita, KS
Goods 94.0 · Services 88.5 · Rents 66.2 Topeka, KS
Goods 94.0 · Services 88.9 · Rents 65.0 Rockford, IL
Goods 93.6 · Services 89.4 · Rents 70.1 Morgantown, WV
Goods 96.3 · Services 92.5 · Rents 69.1
Metros with Similar Cost of Living
These metros have an overall RPP closest to Fond du Lac, WI's index of 91.6.
Showing the 6 closest of 387 metro areas tracked nationally.
Shareable data card
Take this cost snapshot with you
Download the data card or share this exact metro record. The card uses the same BEA-derived values shown above.
Cost of living guides →, cheapest and most-expensive metro rankings, salary negotiation with RPP data, and step-by-step comparison walkthroughs.
Compare to Other Metros
What this means for Fond du Lac
How to read Fond du Lac's cost of living before a move, a job offer, or a budget.
- Budget to local prices, not headline pay, a $100K national salary spends like about $109,119 in Fond du Lac. Salary calculator
- Start with rents: it indexes at 67.3, the largest departure from the national benchmark in this metro's BEA cost mix. Compare it with the other components before treating the overall RPP as a complete household budget.
- Compare Fond du Lac head-to-head against a specific destination before you decide. Compare metros
RPP is BEA's annual price-level benchmark for the data year shown, not a live market quote. Pair it with current local wages and housing costs before deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in Fond du Lac, WI?
Fond du Lac, WI has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 91.6, meaning it is 8.4% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 93.8, services at 91.1, and rents at 67.3. It ranks #255 out of 387 U.S. metro areas by overall cost.
What salary do I need in Fond du Lac, WI to match $100K nationally?
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $91,643 in Fond du Lac, WI. Conversely, $100K earned in Fond du Lac, WI has the purchasing power of $109,119 at the national average.
How expensive is rent in Fond du Lac, WI?
Rents in Fond du Lac, WI are indexed at 67.3, which is 32.7% below the national average. This makes the area relatively affordable for renters.
Is Fond du Lac, WI getting more expensive?
From 2008 to 2024, Fond du Lac, WI's overall cost index changed by +8.2 points (from 83.4 to 91.6). The cost of living has been trending upward.
What costs the most in Fond du Lac, WI?
The priciest category in Fond du Lac, WI is goods at 93.8, 6.2% below the national average, still the highest of the three categories. The most affordable category is rents at 67.3, 32.7% below average.
What metros have a similar cost of living to Fond du Lac, WI?
Metros with the most similar overall cost index include Birmingham, Michigan City-La Porte, Des Moines-West Des Moines. These areas have RPP values within a few points of Fond du Lac, WI's 91.6.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.