Fond Du Lac, WI Homes For Rent

Homes for Rent in Fond du Lac, WI: What You Need to Know

Fond du Lac, the name of a city in eastern Wisconsin, means “bottom of the lake” in French. But it’s tops as a destination for hiking, fishing, and outdoor recreation. 

Things to Do in Fond du Lac

Fond du Lac lies on the river with the same name, at the southern end of Lake Winnebago, one of the country's largest inland lakes. The 400-acre Lakeside Park is a great starting point for exploring the lake. It has a picnic area, pavilion, lighthouse, playground, splash pad, marina, and handicapped-accessible fishing platforms. The Horicon National Wildlife Refuge in nearby Mayville offers a great place to view birds, muskrats, deer, and foxes. Horicon covers 32,000 acres of land. Grasslands and wetlands shelter more than 250 species of birds, including geese, herons, egrets, and songbirds. The marsh is a rest stop for over 200,000 migrating Canadian Geese in the spring and fall.

Local History

French traders called the area Fond du Lac for its location at the base of Lake Winnebago. In 1835, James Duane Doty and a group of men formed the Fond du Lac Company to buy and sell land shares in the area. Fond du Lac County was created in 1836, while the city was incorporated in 1852. Early settlers came mostly from New England, New York, and Pennsylvania. Between 1850 and 1880, German, Dutch, Irish, Welsh, and Scottish immigrants began arriving.

Cost of Living

Home to 43,263 people, Fond du Lac is a budget-friendly city. Its cost of living rate, food, and housing costs are 6.4%, 17%, and 30.3% lower than the national average respectively. The median gross rent is $730. Badger State residents pay 3.86% to 7.65% in income tax and 5% to 5.6% in sales tax.

Know Your Neighborhoods

Residents fondly call their hometown Fondy. Everyone raves about Lake Park, the Walleye Weekend (a family festival), Brewfest, and other events. Looking for top-notch public schools? Rosendale and Brandon are a lot smaller than Fond du Lac, but their schools are highly ranked. Rosendale is known for its strict traffic enforcement. A gas station even sells T-shirts that say: “Rosendale, Just the Ticket!” 

Shopping

Shoppers love downtown’s unique stores offering eclectic products, from apparel and jewelry to customized fused glass products to specialty chocolates and artisanal foods. Discover a new interest or rekindle an old one at crafts and hobby shops. For national brands and big-box retailers, head over to Forest Mall, an enclosed shopping center with 25 stores.