Property Tax in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin
The median real estate tax bill in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin is $3,311 per year, and the median home is worth $209,800. Both figures are the US Census Bureau's survey medians for owner-occupied households (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What the Fond du Lac County numbers mean
Read the two medians together: $3,311 is the middle tax bill among owner-occupied households in Fond du Lac County, and $209,800 is the middle home value. Neither figure describes a specific property — together they describe the typical homeowner's situation in the county.
The derived effective rate for Fond du Lac County is 1.58% (median tax ÷ median value). Treat it as an estimate for comparison only: it comes from survey medians of different households, not from the county's rate schedule.
Fond du Lac County by the numbers
| Measure | Fond du Lac County | Wisconsin | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $3,311 | $3,746 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $209,800 | $247,400 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.58% | 1.51% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $276 | $312 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Fond du Lac County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Wisconsin: #28 of 72 counties
- Median home value rank in Wisconsin: #36 of 72
- Population rank in Wisconsin: #16 of 72 (104,053 residents)
- Population density rank: #18 of 72 (145 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Wisconsin: #40 of 72 (719 sq mi, 1.3% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $276; per $1,000 of home value: $1.58
How Fond du Lac County compares
Set against its state, Fond du Lac County's median bill of $3,311 is about 12% lower than the Wisconsin median ($3,746). Against the country as a whole it is about 12% higher than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #28 of 72 Wisconsin counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Fond du Lac County's median home, at $209,800, ranks #36 by value in Wisconsin, while its derived rate of 1.58% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Fond du Lac County: the median bill works out to about $276 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,578 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 104,053 people — the #16 most populous county in Wisconsin, spread over 719 square miles, a density of about 145 people per square mile. Its median home value, $209,800, ranks #36 among the state's 72 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 368 record a higher median tax bill than Fond du Lac County — it sits in the top 12% nationally. The county holds roughly 1.8% of Wisconsin's people. Its homes are worth less than the state norm (median $209,800 versus $247,400), and a decade at the derived rate of 1.58% adds up to about 15.78% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Iron County, medians $1,777 — $1,534 less than Fond du Lac County per year.
Counties nearest Fond du Lac County in the Wisconsin ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Door County, WI | $3,350 | $305,800 | 1.09% |
| Dunn County, WI | $3,325 | $226,200 | 1.47% |
| Trempealeau County, WI | $3,269 | $203,300 | 1.61% |
| Sheboygan County, WI | $3,234 | $218,400 | 1.48% |
Fond du Lac County and its population peers
Population is a useful lens on these figures, so the table below sets Fond du Lac County beside the counties closest to it in population anywhere in the country — communities of a similar scale operating under different state and local tax systems. Ranked by median tax paid within this peer group of 9, Fond du Lac County's $3,311 bill is #2 of 9.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumter County, SC | 104,853 | $860 | $159,500 | 0.54% |
| Cecil County, MD | 104,366 | $3,059 | $311,800 | 0.98% |
| Dallas County, IA | 104,136 | $4,849 | $333,400 | 1.45% |
| Wicomico County, MD | 104,117 | $2,120 | $238,900 | 0.89% |
| Highlands County, FL | 103,808 | $1,295 | $177,900 | 0.73% |
| Bay County, MI | 103,235 | $2,205 | $135,100 | 1.63% |
| Etowah County, AL | 103,208 | $585 | $160,600 | 0.36% |
| Daviess County, KY | 103,195 | $1,595 | $185,800 | 0.86% |
The closest population match is Wicomico County, Maryland (104,117 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $2,120 on a median home value of $238,900 — $1,191 more than Fond du Lac County pays.
Fond du Lac County's nearest population neighbours within Wisconsin are Eau Claire County (106,328 residents, median tax $3,461 on a median value of $242,400); Walworth County (105,447 residents, median tax $3,964 on a median value of $275,900); St. Croix County (94,819 residents, median tax $4,297 on a median value of $349,700); Ozaukee County (92,345 residents, median tax $4,629 on a median value of $368,900). Comparing them is a reminder that even inside one state's rules, the bill follows local home values and local district rates more than anything decided at the state level.
How the tax is worked out
The bill is built in stages. First the assessor puts a market value on the property. Exemptions — a homestead exemption above all — then reduce the taxable amount. Finally the combined local rate is applied. To see the scale: at the county's derived rate of 1.58%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $1,578 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $6,312. Real bills use the official assessment and district rates, not this derived figure, so treat the example as a sense of scale only.
Illustrative bills in Fond du Lac County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 1.58% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for Fond du Lac County — and a quick way to compare with the state derived rate of 1.51% and the US figure of 0.98%:
| Home value | Illustrative tax / year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $2,367 | $197 |
| $250,000 | $3,945 | $329 |
| $350,000 | $5,523 | $460 |
| $500,000 | $7,890 | $658 |
| $750,000 | $11,835 | $986 |
Illustration only: real bills are computed from the assessed value, exemptions, and the combined rates of the property's actual taxing districts.
Checking your assessment in Fond du Lac County
If your bill looks wrong, work through these steps:
1. Get your property record card from the assessor and check the basics — living area, lot size, bedrooms, condition, and any exemptions you should have.
2. Compare your assessed value with recent sale prices of similar homes in Fond du Lac County.
3. Talk to the assessor's office informally first; clear errors are often fixed without a hearing.
4. If needed, file a formal appeal with the local review board before the deadline on your assessment notice, with your evidence attached.
5. Keep paying the bill as issued while the appeal runs, unless your notice says otherwise — unpaid taxes accrue penalties regardless of an appeal.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin?
The median real estate tax paid in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin is $3,311 per year, on a median home value of $209,800 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin?
On a derived basis, 1.58%: the county's median tax bill of $3,311 divided by its median home value of $209,800. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does Fond du Lac County compare with the rest of Wisconsin?
By median taxes paid, Fond du Lac County stands at #28 among the 72 Wisconsin counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $3,311 median bill is about 12% lower than the state median ($3,746), and 27 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin?
The assessor estimates your property's market value; exemptions (such as a homestead exemption) reduce the taxable amount; and the result is multiplied by the combined rates of the local taxing districts — county, municipality, school district and any special districts. In Fond du Lac County, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $3,311 on a median home value of $209,800.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin?
Yes. Request your property record card from the Fond du Lac County assessor's office and check it for errors, then compare your assessed value with recent sales of similar homes. If it still looks too high, file a formal appeal with the local review board named on your assessment notice before the deadline printed on the notice — windows are short, often 30 to 90 days.