City comparison
Fond du Lac, WI is about 50 miles (90 km) from Milwaukee, WI in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 70 miles, or about 1 h 15 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 Fond du Lac, WI to Milwaukee, WI takes about 7 min, covering roughly 50 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.
Milwaukee has a population of 573,299, vs 44,527 in Fond du Lac — about 12.9× larger by population. By land area, Milwaukee covers about 96 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 | Milwaukee | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $868/mo | $982/mo | 13.1% higher in Milwaukee |
| Median home value | $148,500 | $157,800 | 6.3% higher in Milwaukee |
| Median household income | $58,675 | $49,733 | 18.0% higher in Fond du Lac |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 91.2 | 91.6 | ≈ equal (Milwaukee 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 Fond du Lac, you'd need $114,089 in Milwaukee to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fond du Lac, WI is about 12.3% cheaper overall than Milwaukee, WI, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 41% higher in Milwaukee than in Fond du Lac. If you earn $80,000 in Fond du Lac, you'd need about $91,271 in Milwaukee to keep the same standard of living.