The 2023 annual average Cost of Living Index (COLI) for Fond du Lac County remains below the national average. The after-tax cost for a professional/managerial standard of living is 90.3 or 9.7% below the national average of 100.0. Our county continues to be a very affordable place to live, work, and raise a family.

Fond du Lac County’s Cost of Living Index is compiled and published quarterly by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The index measures regional differences in the cost of consumer goods and services, excluding taxes and non-consumer expenditures, for professionals and managerial households in the top income quintile. It is based on more than 90,000 prices covering sixty-one different items for which prices are collected three times a year by Envision Greater Fond du Lac.

The composite index is based on six components – housing, utilities, grocery items, transportation, health care and miscellaneous goods and services. The “all items” index for Fond du Lac was 90.3 or 9.7% below the national average (100.0) for 2023. The six component indexes for 2023 for Fond du Lac were 98.6 for grocery items, 66.5 for housing, 104.8 for utilities, 100.3 for transportation, 114.4 for healthcare, and 96.2 for miscellaneous goods and services.

Six locations in Wisconsin collected cost of living data for 2023 including Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Green Bay, Madison, Milwaukee-Waukesha, and Wisconsin Rapids-Marshfield. The Wisconsin Rapids-Marshfield area is the least expensive at 86.7 (13.3% below the national average) with Madison the most expensive in the state at 103.9 or 3.9% above the national average.

 Among the 276 urban areas participating in 2023, the after-tax cost for professional/managerial standard of living ranged for more than twice the national average in New York (Manhattan), NY to more than 20% below the national average in Decatur, IL.

Photo Source: C2ER Press Release; 1/30/24.

Why is cost of living information important? A lower cost of living attracts people and businesses. If it costs less to live in Fond du Lac County, in addition to other quality of life benefits, attracting workforce talent and new businesses can be easier.

If you are interested in learning contact our Director of Business Intelligence at [email protected]