Fond du Lac, Wisconsin 1867, 1867
Fond du Lac’s story
183 years in pictures
Census counts: 5,460 in 1860, 44,678 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1856 and 3 maps from 1957 on.
- 1843Fond du Lac is settled
Town of Fond du LacWI
TownGrade
C+
#278 of 357 in WI
7 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
3,780
2025 Census estimate · +3.4% since 2020
Median home value
$341K
Census ACS
Household income
$106K
median
Median age
52.5
years
Jobs based here
797
A commuter town
Settled
1843
183 years ago
Is Fond du Lac a good place to live?
Where it falls short is schools: its public schools trail 70% of Wisconsin towns on state tests and graduation. At C+ overall, Fond du Lac ranks 278th of 357 in Wisconsin. It comes out better than 45% of U.S. towns. Cost of living is weaker too: the typical home is worth about $341K, 4.6 years of the Fond du Lac metro’s $74K median household income. Its strongest subject is incomes: the median household earns $106K. On civic life, just 72 of Wisconsin’s 869 towns do worse. Just over one in ten residents are under 18 here, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 21% and U.S. towns at 22%.
Figures: incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow.
How Fond du Lac grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Fond du Lac is from typical.
Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workAOpen →Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listA−Open →SchoolsSchools trail most of those comparedCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.9 of 20; 1.4% of households have no car; 1.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →Cost of livingBelow the middle of the towns comparedC+Open →HealthSSM Health St. Agnes Hospital-Fond Du Lac 4.1 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1% conserved landC+Open →History38 notable people born hereB−Open →Civic life1.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
What makes Fond du Lac stand out
Where Fond du Lac beats most towns.
Natural hazardsA−
Lower risk than 82% of U.S. communities
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
King Camp GilletteFamous people
38 notable people
born in Fond du Lac
Including King Camp Gillette and Travis Diener.
0historic places
History
Settled in 1843
A long history
A history going back 183 years.
A growing town
Fond du Lac has grown 26% since 2010
3,015 counted in 2010 and 3,687 in 2020; an estimated 3,780 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Fond du Lac.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Fond du Lac has a very low natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
18risk score of 100
Fond du Lac’s natural-hazard score from FEMA works out to 18 of 100. FEMA puts 53% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 17% to tornadoes. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2008.
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
4
paid flood claims since 2008
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
With only 0.4 jobs per working resident, most people in Fond du Lac work out of town
1%work in town
The top destinations are Fond du Lac (44%), Oshkosh (7%) and Appleton (2%). Just 1% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. In Fond du Lac, the average commute is 19 minutes. Employers in Fond du Lac added 134 jobs between 2014 and 2024, to 797.
| Fond du Lac | Typical Wisconsin town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $106,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.2% | 8.2% | 7.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.7% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Fond du Lac1%
Fond du Lac44%
Oshkosh7%
Appleton2%
Milwaukee2%
11 mi
median commute distance
797
jobs based in Fond du Lac
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 37% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2024 · ACS
Who lives here
Fewer children than Wisconsin overall
52.5median age · WI overall 40.2
Population is up 3.4% in Fond du Lac since 2020, to 3,780 by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. Its age of the median resident is recorded as 52.5 years. Among 362 Wisconsin towns, just 4 have a lower share of children under 18 than Fond du Lac.
| Fond du Lac | Typical Wisconsin town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 12% | 21% | 22% |
| Median age | 52.5 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 27% | 32% | 29% |
Fond du LacWisconsinUnited States
Ages · share of residents
22%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma2%
High school41%
Some college20%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s17%
Graduate9%
Women and men · all residents
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.2 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Fond du Lac | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6.7% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.1% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 15.5% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.9% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.1% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.3% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 21.9% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.4% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.2% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.3% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 40.6% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 20% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.4% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.4% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.3% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,800, single groups can be off by several points
OutdoorsC+
Protected land: 1.1% of Fond du Lac
#205for trails in WI
5.0 miles of trail wind through 2 parks and preserves. Between them, the parks and preserves give Fond du Lac 25 acres of open land. The trail density here locally is 0.3 miles per square mile.
| Fond du Lac | Typical Wisconsin town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.1% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
1.1%
conserved · 129 of 11,909 acres
5.0 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Oakfield Railroad Prairie State Natural Area | 0.5 mi | 12 |
| 2. Simon Riverside Park | 0.2 mi | 13 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Fond du Lac
38″snow a winter
About 38 inches of snow fall in a winter here; January nights dip to 10° and July afternoons rise to 82°.
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–29°
Spring34–55°
Summer58–79°
Fall39–58°
Oct 10
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB−
Fond du Lac ranks healthier than 54% of the country’s towns
54%of U.S. towns are less healthyB−Health Grade
Against the 7,722 U.S. towns with household incomes like Fond du Lac’s, it is less healthy than 74%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
The share of adults in Fond du Lac who have obesity is 44%. Two figures for adults locally: 30% sleep under 7 hours, 19% binge drink.
| Fond du Lac | Typical Wisconsin town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 38% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 26% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Fond du Lac | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with obesity | 43.6% | 37.7% |
SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital-Fond Du Lac
4.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: dental
30th
percentile among WI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Fond du Lac
19pages on Fond du Lac
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Nearby attractions
All 41 attractions →Lake Winnebago and 12 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Fond du Lac. Close and well known come first.
19 mi LakeLake Winnebago
23 mi Park & preserveKettle Moraine State Forest
17 mi MuseumEAA Aviation Museum
40 mi Theme parkBlue Harbor Resort
39 mi MuseumJohn Michael Kohler Arts Center
36 mi MuseumThe History Museum at the CastleSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lake Winnebago: self, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Kettle Moraine State Forest: self, CC BY-SA 2.5 · EAA Aviation Museum: self, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Blue Harbor Resort: self, CC BY-SA 2.5 · John Michael Kohler Arts Center: self, CC BY-SA 2.5 · The History Museum at the Castle: Sirala at English Wikipedia, Public domain
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Fond du Lac: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fond du Lac, and how to reach them.
PowerWisconsin Power & Light18.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterNorth Fond Du Lac Waterworks1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers89% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Fond du Lac’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Wisconsin you can register online until 20 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 20 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereTown of Fond Du Lac ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Apr 2026
ZIP codes54937, 5493554937 75% · 54935 25%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Fond du Lac for work
Where Fond du Lac’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
797jobs based in Fond du Lac
1%of working residents work in town
11 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2024
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Fond du Lac
Marian UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Fond Du Lac4.4 mi$35,178 tuitionMoraine Park Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fond du Lac4.8 mi$4,819 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Fond du Lac residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
Famous people from Fond du Lac
38 notable people were born in Fond du Lac.
R
Ronald LangackerProfessor emeritus in the field of linguistics at the University of California, San Diego. · born 1942
About Fond du Lac
City in Wisconsin, United States
Fond du Lac ( ) is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is at the southern end of Lake Winnebago and had a population of 44,678 at the 2020 census. The city forms the core of the Fond du Lac metropolitan statistical area, which includes all of Fond du Lac County and had 104,154 residents in 2020.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1843
- Area
- 20 sq mi
- Elevation
- 761 ft
- ZIP code
- 54935, 54936, 54937
- Area code
- 920
Fond du Lac’s neighbors
7 towns share a border with Fond du Lac.
Fond du LacNorth Fond du LacFriendshipLamartineTaycheedahByronEmpireFond du Lac
How the neighbors grade
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fond du Lac | #278 | C+ | C+ | — | C | B− |
| Fond du Lac | #327 | C | B | C− | C | C+ |
| North Fond du Lac | #339 | C− | B− | B | C | C |
| Friendship | #288 | C+ | B− | — | C | B− |
| Lamartine | — | — | C− | — | A− | B− |
| Taycheedah | #243 | B− | B− | — | C+ | B |
| Byron | — | — | C+ | — | A− | B− |
| Empire | #232 | B− | B− | — | C+ | B− |
Lamartine and Byron have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Fond du Lac, Friendship, Lamartine, Taycheedah, Byron and Empire report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Fond du Lac with a neighbor →
Questions about Fond du Lac
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Fond du Lac, WI a good place to live?
Fond du Lac grades C+ overall, better than 45% of U.S. towns and #278 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades B− for health and C for schools.
Is Fond du Lac, WI expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
What is Fond du Lac, WI known for?
38 notable people were born here, including King Camp Gillette and Travis Diener.
Fond du Lac is in here
Say something about Fond du Lac.
Ask a question, answer one, post a photo or an event. Free, and the parts only a neighbor would know are the parts worth reading.