Fond du Lac, WI
The numbers that matter most
What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.
affordable
Price to income
2.87×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs Wisconsin
- 3.08×-0.21
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×-0.56
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
comfortable
Rent to income
19.3%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs Wisconsin
- 19.4%-0.1
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%-4.0
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
deal-by-deal
Cap rate proxy
4.37%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs Wisconsin
- 3.95%+0.42
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%+0.03
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
shrinking
Net migration
-0.09%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs Wisconsin
- 0.01%
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
tight
Permit pipeline
1.86
permits per 1,000 residents
Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.
- vs Wisconsin
- 3.58
- vs U.S.
- 3.52
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
very tight labor market
Unemployment
2.7%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs Wisconsin
- 2.7%=
- vs U.S.
- 3.9%-1.2
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+63.7%
homeValues.yearOverYear
+5.1%
Median home value
$209,800
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $946 | $11,352 | 15.5% |
| 2 BR | $1,176 | $14,112 | 19.3% |
| 3 BR | $1,522 | $18,264 | 25.0% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
2.7%
Median household income
$73,154
What's being built
Total TTM
193
+50.8% YoY
Single-family
175
2–4 unit
18
5+ unit
0
All 1 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fond du Lac County | 104,027 | $209,800 | $73,154 | 193 | +50.8% |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Fond du Lac | 104,027 | $73,154 | 2.87× | 4.37% | +63.7% | 1.86 | 2.7% |
| Ithaca, NY | 102,555 | $73,012 | — | — | +52.0% | — | 3.4% |
| Mankato, MN | 103,402 | $74,722 | — | — | +39.9% | — | 3.5% |
| Longview, WA | 110,621 | $72,932 | — | — | +42.7% | — | 6.2% |
| Dubuque, IA | 98,812 | $75,919 | — | — | +47.6% | — | 3.4% |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN | 104,055 | $68,653 | — | — | +34.8% | — | 2.7% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
-92
-0.09% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Dodge County, WI | 340 |
| Winnebago County, WI | 280 |
| Washington County, WI | 160 |
| Milwaukee County, WI | 141 |
| Green Lake County, WI | 111 |
| Sheboygan County, WI | 103 |
Who lives in Fond du Lac
- Median age
- 42
- Bachelor's+
- 22.6%
- Owner-occupancy
- 70.3%
- Vacancy rate
- 6.3%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 38.2%
- Median household income
- $73,154
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.