Adams county courthouse, 1922
Friendship’s story
177 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1922 and 2 maps from 1955 on.
- 1849Friendship is settled
FriendshipWI
TownGrade
C+
#288 of 357 in WI
Population
2,774
2025 Census estimate · +0.8% since 2020
Median home value
$236K
Census ACS
Household income
$70K
median
Median age
49.6
years
Jobs based here
354
A commuter town
Settled
1849
177 years ago
Is Friendship a good place to live?
Strong in places, weak in others. Its weakest subject is walkability. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 91% of U.S. towns. It lags on schools as well: its public schools trail 73% of Wisconsin towns on state tests and graduation. Incomes are its strong suit (A) — the median household earns $70K. At about $236K, a typical home costs 3.2 years of the Fond du Lac metro’s $74K median household income. The overall grade comes out at C+, 288th of 357 in Wisconsin. Set against the rest, it does better than 43% of U.S. towns.
Figures: incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow.
How Friendship grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Friendship is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.3 of 20; 2.3% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the strongest comparedAOpen →SchoolsBelow the middle of the towns comparedCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 39% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →HealthSSM Health St. Agnes Hospital-Fond Du Lac 5.4 miles awayB−Open →Cost of livingAbout average among the towns comparedB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksDOpen →HistoryMore history than most townsB+Open →Civic life3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
What makes Friendship stand out
Where Friendship beats most towns.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Friendship for work
Where Friendship’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
354jobs based in Friendship
1%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2024
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Friendship.
Friendship sends most of its workers to Fond du Lac and beyond and has colder winter nights than most of the country, though not than most of Wisconsin.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
A smaller share of residents live below the poverty line in Friendship than in most of Wisconsin or the rest of the country
1%work in town
Friendship has 354 jobs for its 1,342 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Half of commuters travel less than 13 miles. In Friendship, 1.1% of working residents work locally. Between 2014 and 2024, jobs locally rose by 32, to 354. The top destinations are Fond du Lac (29%), Oshkosh (12%) and North Fond du Lac (4%).
| Friendship | Typical Wisconsin town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 1.4% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.1% | 8.2% | 7.9% |
| Median household income | $70,000 | $88,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Friendship1%
Fond du Lac29%
Oshkosh12%
North Fond du Lac4%
Lamartine2%
13 mi
median commute distance
354
jobs based in Friendship
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 9% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2024 · ACS
Climate
The climate in Friendship brings four seasons and pleasant summers
38″snow a winter
January nights average 10°: colder than most of the country, but milder than 75% of Wisconsin places with climate records; July afternoons average 82°.
About 38 inches of snow falls in a winter. Precipitation in Friendship totals about 32 inches in a normal year.
| Friendship | Typical Wisconsin town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 10°F | 11°F | 22°F |
| July high | 82°F | 82°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–29°
Spring34–55°
Summer58–79°
Fall39–58°
Oct 12
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Natural hazards: low risk in Friendship, mostly inland flooding
39risk score of 100
25 flood insurance claims have been paid in Friendship since 1986. FEMA expects less storm and flood damage locally than in just over three fifths of U.S. communities. Federal aid has come to Friendship households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2008.
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
25
paid flood claims since 1986
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB−
Residents of Friendship are healthier than 54% of U.S. towns
55%of U.S. towns are less healthyB−Health Grade
Friendship: 28% of adults get no exercise outside work, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 26% and U.S. towns at 25%. 30% of adults sleep under 7 hours locally.
| Friendship | Typical Wisconsin town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 38% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
3 better29 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Friendship | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.9% | 12.1% |
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 5.7% | 6.7% |
SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital-Fond Du Lac
5.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: dental
31st
percentile among WI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade B−
The median home in Friendship sells for about $230K
$230Kmedian sale price
Its going rate for rent is recorded as $1,177 a month. Friendship: 83% of households are owner-occupiers, above both Wisconsin’s towns (74%) and U.S. towns (73%).
| Friendship | Typical Wisconsin town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 83% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,177 a month | $1,076 a month | $1,185 a month |
2
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Friendship
17pages on Friendship
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
Nearby attractions
All 26 attractions →Lake Winnebago and 12 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Friendship. Close and well known come first.
12 mi LakeLake Winnebago
11 mi MuseumEAA Aviation Museum
28 mi Park & preserveKettle Moraine State Forest
39 mi Theme parkBlue Harbor Resort
29 mi MuseumThe History Museum at the Castle
38 mi MuseumJohn Michael Kohler Arts CenterSources: 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 · EAA Aviation Museum: self, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Kettle Moraine State Forest: self, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Blue Harbor Resort: self, CC BY-SA 2.5 · The History Museum at the Castle: Sirala at English Wikipedia, Public domain · John Michael Kohler Arts Center: self, CC BY-SA 2.5
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Friendship: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Friendship, and how to reach them.
PowerWisconsin Power & Light18.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAshwood Grove EdgewaterNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers92% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Friendship’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 Friendship ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes54937, 5497954937 70% · 54979 30%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Friendship
Moraine Park Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fond du Lac5.3 mi$4,819 in-state tuitionMarian UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Fond Du Lac5.7 mi$35,178 tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-OshkoshUniversity or college · Public · Oshkosh12.7 mi$8,532 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Friendship residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
Friendship’s neighbors
7 towns share a border with Friendship.
North Fond du LacFond du LacFond du LacEldoradoTaycheedahBlack WolfCalumetFriendship
How the neighbors grade
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friendship | #288 | C+ | B− | — | C | B− |
| North Fond du Lac | #339 | C− | B− | B | C | C |
| Fond du Lac | #327 | C | B | C− | C | C+ |
| Fond du Lac | #278 | C+ | C+ | — | C | B− |
| Eldorado | — | — | B− | — | B | B− |
| Taycheedah | #243 | B− | B− | — | C+ | B |
| Black Wolf | — | — | B | — | C | C+ |
| Calumet | — | — | B− | — | B | B |
Eldorado, Black Wolf and Calumet have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Friendship, Fond du Lac, Eldorado, Taycheedah, Black Wolf and Calumet report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Friendship with a neighbor →
Questions about Friendship
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Friendship, WI a good place to live?
Friendship grades C+ overall, better than 43% of U.S. towns and #288 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades B− for health and C for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Friendship, WI expensive?
The typical home is worth about $236,000, 30% below the Wisconsin typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
Friendship is in here
Say something about Friendship.
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