City comparison
Fond du Lac, WI is about 150 miles (225 km) from La Crosse, WI in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 175 miles, or about 3 h 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 Fond du Lac, WI to La Crosse, WI takes about 17 min, covering roughly 150 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.
La Crosse has a population of 52,043, vs 44,527 in Fond du Lac — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, La Crosse covers about 22 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 | Fond du Lac | La Crosse | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $868/mo | $941/mo | 8.4% higher in La Crosse |
| Median home value | $148,500 | $183,300 | 23.4% higher in La Crosse |
| Median household income | $58,675 | $51,836 | 13.2% higher in Fond du Lac |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.0 | ≈ equal (La Crosse slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 91.2 | 89.7 | 1.6% higher in Fond du Lac |
| Transportation index | 99.2 | 99.2 | ≈ equal (La Crosse slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 99.4 | 99.4 | ≈ equal (La Crosse slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Fond du Lac, you'd need $101,069 in La Crosse to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fond du Lac, WI is about 1.1% cheaper overall than La Crosse, WI, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 4% higher in La Crosse than in Fond du Lac. If you earn $80,000 in Fond du Lac, you'd need about $80,855 in La Crosse to keep the same standard of living.