City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Ames | Fond du Lac | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,011/mo | $868/mo | 16.5% higher in A |
| Median home value | $247,500 | $148,500 | 66.7% higher in A |
| Median household income | $57,428 | $58,675 | 2.1% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 94.5 | 94.5 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 85.6 | 91.3 | 6.2% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 94.1 | 98.7 | 4.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.8 | 99.3 | 4.6% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Ames, you'd need $99,988 in Fond du Lac to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Ames and Fond du Lac have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 6% lower in Fond du Lac than in Ames. If you earn $80,000 in Ames, you'd need about $79,991 in Fond du Lac to keep the same standard of living.