Cost of Living in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Fort Wayne, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 275,203
- Median household income
- $61,436
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 92.6
- Unemployment rate
- 4%
Is Fort Wayne a good place to live?
Fort Wayne is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 122 of the 178 other large US cities we track.
A typical worker in Fort Wayne keeps $8,959 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living7% below the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,045 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- Taxes$1,378 of state income tax on a typical wage, plus $743 of local income tax
Cost of living in Fort Wayne
Prices in the Fort Wayne, IN area run 7% below the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 28% below the US average.
- Housing28% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)6% below the US average
- Utilities14% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)1% below the US average
- All items7% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,045 | $12,540 |
| Food | $466 | $5,592 |
| Transportation | $368 | $4,416 |
| Healthcare | $349 | $4,188 |
| Utilities | $225 | $2,700 |
| Total before taxes | $2,453 | $29,436 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Fort Wayne | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,043 | $1,025 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,045 | $1,026 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,272 | $1,248 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,563 | $1,534 |
| 4 bedrooms | $1,711 | $1,679 |
Living in Fort Wayne
How Fort Wayne compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Fort Wayne | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,436 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $219,900 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,051 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 37.2% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 4% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 15.3% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 31% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 35.2 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 21.5 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 7.4% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 0.2% | 3.7% |
Home internet
6 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Fort Wayne, led by Xfinity, Frontier, T-Mobile, TWN Communications. Fiber reaches 76.8% of homes and 80.1% can get gigabit speeds.
Pros and cons of living in Fort Wayne
Pros
- Paychecks go further. A typical worker keeps $8,959 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs, more than in 122 of 178 large cities.
- Cheaper rent. Median rent is $1,051 a month, against $1,487 nationally.
- Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 21.5 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
- Affordable homes to buy. The median home is worth $219,900, against $360,600 nationally.
Cons
- Local income tax. Residents also pay Allen County local income tax income tax: $743 on a typical wage.
- Lower incomes. Median household income is $61,436, against $81,604 nationally.
What your job keeps in Fort Wayne
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $47,700
- Federal income tax
- −$3,544
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,649
- State income tax
- −$1,378
- Local income tax
- −$743
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$12,540
- Everyday costs
- −$16,887
a year, or $747 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Fort Wayne, IN. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Fort Wayne, IN area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse | $79,630 | $31,852 |
| Accountant | $75,250 | $28,970 |
| Electrician | $71,290 | $26,363 |
| Licensed practical nurse | $63,640 | $21,044 |
| Teacher | $60,640 | $18,770 |
| Carpenter | $60,400 | $18,588 |
| Truck driver | $59,050 | $17,565 |
| Auto mechanic | $49,810 | $10,560 |
| Medical assistant | $45,220 | $7,081 |
| Nursing assistant | $37,210 | $1,007 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Fort Wayne on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Civil engineer $37,967
- Data scientist $41,620
- Dental assistant $9,696
- Dental hygienist $36,125
- Dentist $99,033
- Diesel mechanic $18,444
- Financial analyst $32,379
- Firefighter $29,373
- HVAC technician $18,914
- Lawyer $62,616
- Lineman $46,450
- Mechanical engineer $42,172
- Nurse practitioner $62,956
- Occupational therapist $36,426
- Paralegal $17,428
- Paramedic $17,647
- Pharmacist $79,214
- Pharmacy technician $5,450
- Physical therapist $44,239
- Physician assistant $65,731
- Plumber $30,195
- Police officer $31,576
- Project manager $40,382
- Radiologic technologist $30,017
- Respiratory therapist $30,378
- Social worker $16,791
- Software engineer $46,285
- Speech-language pathologist $34,202
- Veterinarian $61,628
- Welder $10,173
Local income tax: Indiana county tax applies to Indiana AGI less exemptions.
Compare Fort Wayne with other cities
Compare Fort Wayne with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Fort Wayne
24 licensed interstate movers are based in Fort Wayne, and 1 more elsewhere in the Fort Wayne, IN area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Fort Wayne, IN a good place to live?
Fort Wayne is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 122 of the 178 other large US cities we track. The typical worker here earns $47,700 and keeps $8,959 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Fort Wayne?
Prices in the Fort Wayne, IN area are 7% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,045 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,407 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Fort Wayne?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $35,900 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Fort Wayne, IN area earns $47,700.
What is the average rent in Fort Wayne?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,043 for a studio, $1,045 for a 1-bedroom and $1,272 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Fort Wayne at $1,051 a month (2024).
Does Fort Wayne have a state or city income tax?
Yes. On a typical wage of $47,700, Indiana state income tax comes to about $1,378 a year. Fort Wayne residents also pay Allen County local income tax income tax, about $743 on the same wage.
What internet providers serve Fort Wayne?
6 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Fort Wayne, led by Xfinity, Frontier, T-Mobile, TWN Communications. 76.8% of homes can get fiber and 80.1% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate