City comparison
Appleton, WI is about 40 miles (60 km) from Fond du Lac, WI in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 40 miles, or about 44 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Appleton, WI to Fond du Lac, WI takes about 4 min, covering roughly 40 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Appleton has a population of 75,133, vs 44,527 in Fond du Lac — about 1.7× larger by population. By land area, Appleton covers about 25 sq mi vs 19 sq mi for Fond du Lac.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
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 | Appleton | Fond du Lac | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $913/mo | $868/mo | 5.2% higher in Appleton |
| Median home value | $192,200 | $148,500 | 29.4% higher in Appleton |
| Median household income | $75,469 | $58,675 | 28.6% higher in Appleton |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 90.7 | 91.2 | ≈ equal (Fond du Lac slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 99.2 | 99.2 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 99.4 | 99.4 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Appleton, you'd need $98,330 in Fond du Lac to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fond du Lac, WI is about 1.7% cheaper overall than Appleton, WI, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 5% higher in Appleton than in Fond du Lac. If you earn $80,000 in Appleton, you'd need about $78,664 in Fond du Lac to keep the same standard of living.