Fort Wayne is a city of 275,203, and it grades C− overall, 518th among Indiana's 585 graded towns. It is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 80% of U.S. towns. The trade-off: its police reported 757 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 77% of U.S. towns. 60% of working residents work locally in Fort Wayne, above both the Indiana town median (11%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include Allen County Courthouse and Chief Jean-Baptiste de Richardville House. Fort Wayne's schools rank behind 70% of the state's.

StrongestAHistory A⁻WalkabilityWeakestC⁻Safety CSchools

What makes Fort Wayne stand out

Where Fort Wayne beats most towns.

Allen County Courthouse

HistoryA

Settled in 1794

70 places on the National Register

A history going back 232 years.

Biggest of 5

College	Students
Purdue University Fort Wayne	8,212
Indiana Institute of Technology	2,227
University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne	1,630

Colleges in town

5 colleges

12,425 students on campus

Students are 6% of residents.

WalkabilityA⁻

More walkable than 81% of U.S. towns

2.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transit

EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.

Allen County Courthouse · National Register of Historic Places

Fort Wayne’s story

232 years in pictures

Allen County Courthouse is one of 2 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its founding year, 1794, comes before those of 98% of the Indiana towns we grade with a known year.

Census counts: 4,282 in 1850, 263,886 in 2020. The archive holds 23 old photos and papers going back to 1860 and 4 maps from 1957 on.

70 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

1794Fort Wayne is settled

Explore the history →

How Fort Wayne grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Fort Wayne is from typical.

How grading works

WalkabilityEPA walkability 11.2 of 20; 7.8% of households have no carA⁻Open →SafetyC⁻Open →SchoolsCOpen →HealthSt. Joseph Health System 0.8 miles awayCOpen →Cost of livingB⁺Open →Jobs & income$61K median household incomeC⁺Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 47% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB⁻Open →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

Outdoors5% conserved landBOpen →History52 notable people born hereAOpen →Civic life3.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC⁺Open →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

Climate–Open →Housing market16 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 35.0–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Getting set up

Moving to Fort Wayne: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Fort Wayne, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerIndiana Michigan Power17.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterFort Wayne - 3 Rivers Filtration Plant water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpBy addressTown’s hauler · day by addressTown site

SchoolsFort Wayne Community SchoolsWhich school depends on your addressNCES

Register to voteOnlineIn Indiana you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections hereAllen County Election BoardAllen County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2017

ZIP codes46835, 46815, 46804, 4682546835 12% · 46815 10% · 46804 10% · 46825 10%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Fort Wayne.

Fort Wayne is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has seen reported crime fall beyond ordinary swings, but it has a long record of flood insurance claims.

OutdoorsB

Conserved land covers 5.4% of Fort Wayne

82 miles of trail in 76 parks and preserves. The trail density in Fort Wayne is 0.7 miles per square mile. Foster Park, at 239 acres with 4.6 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.

#58for trails in IN

	Fort Wayne	Indiana towns	U.S. towns
Miles of trail per square mile	0.7 miles per square mile	0.2	0.4
Conserved land	5.4%	1.9%	4.3%

5.4%

conserved · 3,845 of 71,277 acres

82 mi

of trails · 0.7 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Franke Park	11.4 mi	216
2. Foster Park	4.6 mi	239
3. Kreager Park	2.2 mi	162

Full pageFort Wayne’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map82 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk11.4 miles of trail · Franke Park Conserved land5.4% conserved · 3,845 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Fort Wayne?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

SafetyC⁻

For safety, Fort Wayne earns a C−

Reported crimes fell from 7,077 to 5,852 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.

Fort Wayne’s property crime rate is 18.5 per 1,000 residents. Fort Wayne reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 77% report less. Fort Wayne’s violent crime rate is 2.7 per 1,000 residents.

23%of U.S. towns report more crimeC⁻Safety Grade

	Fort Wayne	Indiana towns	U.S. towns
Property crimes per 1,000 (2025)	18.5 per 1,000 residents	8.6	9.9
Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025)	2.7 per 1,000 residents	1.4	1.6

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Fort Wayne2.7

Indiana3

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Fort Wayne18.5

Indiana12.5

U.S.15.5

23rd

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

22nd

percentile among IN towns

757

violent crimes reported in 2025

5,095

property crimes reported in 2025

Full pageFort Wayne’s safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type2.7 violent crimes per 1,000 Crime over the yearsDown since 2023 Vs. the neighborsBehind its graded neighbor Questions“Is Fort Wayne, IN safe?”

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police

HealthC

Fort Wayne is less healthy than 67% of U.S. towns

Against the 9,289 U.S. towns with household incomes like Fort Wayne’s, it is healthier than 50%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income. All 7 graded neighbors score healthier than its C, from New Haven (C+) to Huntertown (A).

Fort Wayne beats the Indiana average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 19% of Fort Wayne adults worry about having enough food.

33%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade

	Fort Wayne	Indiana towns	U.S. towns
Food insecurity (CDC PLACES)	19%	14%	14%
Obesity (CDC PLACES)	41%	39%	35%
Depression (CDC PLACES)	27%	26%	23%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)	14%	13%	12%

32 measures vs. Indiana

1 better23 too close to call8 worse

What stands out	Fort Wayne	IN
Fewer adults who have had cancer	7.4%	8.3%
More adults facing a utility shut-off	11.4%	8.4%

St. Joseph Health System

0.8 mi away · emergency room

2 of 3

care shortages: primary care, mental health

51st

percentile among IN towns

Full pageFort Wayne’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsFewer adults sleeping under 7 hours Hospitals & doctors nearby0.8 miles to an ER · St. Joseph Health System How adults are doingMore adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than IN on 1 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Climate

Fort Wayne has four seasons and pleasant summers

Fort Wayne has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 18° and about 34 inches of snow falls in a winter.

34″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter21–36°

Spring39–60°

Summer61–82°

Fall42–63°

Oct 21

typical first frost

Apr 24

typical last frost

+1.2°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageFort Wayne’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 84°, January lows 18°Rain & snow34″ of snow a winter · 39 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+1.2° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C⁺

Fort Wayne has 1.3 jobs for every working resident, and 82,812 people commute in

16% of residents live below the poverty line in Fort Wayne. Jobs based in Fort Wayne grew to 152,853 in 2023, 17,725 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Indianapolis (4%), New Haven (3%) and Aboite Township (2%).

60%work in town

	Fort Wayne	Indiana towns	U.S. towns
Below the poverty line	16%	10%	9.6%
Average trip to work	22 minutes	24 minutes	25 minutes
Median household income	$61,000	$71,000	$80,000
Work from home	9%	7.8%	11%

Where working residents work

In Fort Wayne60%

Indianapolis4%

New Haven3%

Aboite Township2%

Lafayette Township2%

6 mi

median commute distance

152,853

jobs based in Fort Wayne

Balanced

jobs vs. working residents

A−

Walkability grade: more walkable than 80% of U.S. towns

Full pageFort Wayne’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here152,853 jobs based here · Balanced Where people work60% work in Fort Wayne Commute times22 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 6 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Who lives here

An age mix much like Indiana’s

No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Indiana average. Fort Wayne has grown 4.3% since 2020, to 275,203 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 29% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 30% across Indiana.

35median age · IN 38.1

	Fort Wayne	Indiana towns	U.S. towns
Median age	35 years	39.5 years	40.5 years
Aged 65 or older	15%	18%	18%
Under 18	24%	23%	22%
Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+	29%	22%	29%

Fort WayneIndianaUnited States

INU.S.

Ages · share of residents

16%

Education · adults 25 and older

No diploma11%

High school29%

Some college21%

Associate’s10%

Bachelor’s20%

Graduate9%

Women and men · all residents

51.0% women, 49.0% men

About 96 men for every 100 women. Across Indiana, 50.4% of residents are women. Median age: women 36.3, men 33.9.

Ages and education in Fort Wayne
	Fort Wayne	IN	U.S.
Under 10	13.3%	12.4%	11.6%
10 to 17	11%	10.9%	10.3%
18 to 24	10.2%	9.6%	9.1%
25 to 34	15.5%	13.1%	13.7%
35 to 44	12.7%	12.7%	13.2%
45 to 54	11%	12%	12.2%
55 to 64	11%	12.5%	12.7%
65 to 74	9.1%	10.1%	10.2%
75 and older	6.1%	6.7%	7%
No diploma	10.9%	9.6%	10.4%
High school	28.9%	32.5%	26%
Some college	21.3%	19.3%	19.1%
Associate’s	9.9%	9.1%	8.8%
Bachelor’s	19.8%	18.7%	21.6%
Graduate	9.2%	10.8%	14.1%

Full pageFort Wayne by the numbersOpen the page

Ages35 median age · 15% are 65 or older Schooling29% have a four-year degree Homes62% own their home · Homeowners Income$61K a year · Median household income

Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates

HousingCost of living grade B⁺

A typical Fort Wayne home is worth about $245K

The typical Fort Wayne home is worth about $245,000, up 3.3% in a year, close to the Indiana typical home.

$245KZillow home value

	Fort Wayne	Indiana towns	U.S. towns
Households that own their home	62%	76%	73%
Median rent	$999 a month	$946 a month	$1,185 a month

Typical home value

Fort Wayne$245K

Indiana$257K

Market temperature

days on market

98.8%

sale-to-list price

+3.3%

value change, 1 year

284

homes sold in May

Full pageFort Wayne’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 3.3% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 4.0 years of income Rents$999 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighborsAhead of 5 of its 7 graded neighbors

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B⁻

Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Fort Wayne

1,148 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 74 properties have flooded more than once.

Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 53% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 1,148 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Fort Wayne.

47risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingTornadoes

1,148

paid flood claims since 1978

federal disasters paid out here

Full pageFort Wayne’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesModerate risk Flood claims1,148 paid flood claims · Since 1978 Past disasters9 federal disasters · Paid out in Fort Wayne Get ready1.1 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Nearby attractions

Fort Wayne Children's Zoo and 6 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Fort Wayne. Close and well known come first.

All 19 attractions →

in town Zoo & aquariumFort Wayne Children's Zoo

in town MuseumFort Wayne Museum of Art

19 mi MuseumAuburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum

in town GardenFoellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory

23 mi MuseumUnited States Vice Presidential Museum

25 mi MuseumForks of the Wabash

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

Fort Wayne Children's Zoo: Momoneymoproblemz, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Wayne Museum of Art: Momoneymoproblemz, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum: Michael Walter, a.k.a. Cuppysfriend, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0 · United States Vice Presidential Museum: Pilcrow, Public domain · Forks of the Wabash: Chris Light (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Fort Wayne

20pages on Fort Wayne

The big questions

SchoolsCBehind 70% of IN districts SafetyC⁻2.7 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthCBetter than IN on 1 of 32 CDC measures Cost of livingB⁺$245K typical home · up 3.3% in a year Work & commuteC⁺$61K median household income · 152,853 jobs here Natural hazardsB⁻FEMA risk higher than 47% of U.S. communities · inland flooding

Out and about

OutdoorsB82 mi of trails · 5% conserved land PlacesAttractions19 nearby · Fort Wayne Children's Zoo under 1 mi LibraryC⁺Allen County Public Library CollegesIndiana Institute of Technology, in town

The story

HistoryASettled 1794 · 70 on the National Register Famous people52 born in Fort Wayne Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 128 residents Climate84° summer highs · 34″ of snow

Day to day

News25 recent stories about Fort Wayne WeatherHandbookZIP code 46801, 46802, 46803 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

5 within 15 miles of the center of Fort Wayne

Purdue University Fort WayneUniversity or college · Public · Fort WayneIn town$9,532 in-state tuition Indiana Institute of TechnologyUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Fort WayneIn town$31,361 tuition Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional StudiesUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Fort WayneIn town$9,896 tuition

About 6 of every 100 Fort Wayne residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Indiana.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

College town

Purdue University Fort Wayne calls Fort Wayne home

5 colleges in town.

Purdue University Fort Wayne8,212 students on campus

Admission: 84%
Net price: $13,171
Graduate: 36%

Indiana Institute of Technology2,227 students on campus

Admission: 70%
Net price: $23,206
Graduate: 48%

University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne1,630 students on campus

Admission: 96%
Net price: $18,196
Graduate: 55%

College Scorecard · IPEDS

Landmarks

70 places in Fort Wayne on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Allen County CourthouseNational Historic Landmark

Chief Jean-Baptiste de Richardville HouseNational Historic Landmark

Johnny Appleseed Memorial ParkBuilt 1973

Fort Wayne City Hall

Famous people from Fort Wayne

52 notable people were born in Fort Wayne.

See all 52 →

Carole LombardAmerican actress · 1908–1942

Jenna FischerAmerican actress · born 1974

DaMarcus BeasleyAmerican soccer player · born 1982

Shelley LongAmerican actress and comedian · born 1949

Bruce NaumanAmerican sculptor and performance artist · born 1941

Dick YorkAmerican radio, stage, film, and television actor · 1928–1992

About Fort Wayne

City in Indiana, United States

Official town website ↗

Fort Wayne is a city in Allen County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is 18 miles (29 km) west of the Ohio border and 50 miles (80 km) south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 at the 2020 census, making it the 2nd-most populous city in Indiana after Indianapolis, and the 82nd-most populous city in the U.S. The Fort Wayne metropolitan area, consisting of Allen, Wells and Whitley counties, has an estimated population of 463,000. Fort Wayne is the cultural and economic center of northeastern Indiana. Fort Wayne was built in 1794 by the United States Army under the direction of American Revolutionary War general Antho…

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1794
Area: 111 sq mi
Elevation: 810 ft
ZIP code: 46801, 46802, 46803
Area code: 260

Fort Wayne’s neighbors

7 towns share a border with Fort Wayne.

Explore the map →

All 7 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its C−; St. Joseph Township (B−) is closest. Huntertown next door grades higher for schools (A to Fort Wayne’s C) and lower for cost of living (C+ to B+).

How the neighbors grade

Town	IN rank	Overall	Cost	Safety	Schools	Health
Fort Wayne	#518	C⁻	B⁺	C⁻	C	C
New Haven	#301	B	A⁻	B⁻	B⁻	C⁺
Huntertown	#51	A	C⁺	—	A	A
Perry Township	#55	A	C⁺	—	A	A
Eel River Township	#114	A⁻	B⁻	—	A	B
St. Joseph Township	#338	B⁻	B	—	C	B
Washington Township	#276	B	B⁺	—	C	B⁻
Milan Township	#252	B⁺	B	—	B⁻	B

Huntertown, Perry Township, Eel River Township, St. Joseph Township, Washington Township and Milan Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Fort Wayne with a neighbor →

Questions about Fort Wayne

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Fort Wayne, IN a good place to live?

Fort Wayne grades C− overall, better than 25% of U.S. towns and #518 of 585 in Indiana. It grades C for health, C− for safety and C for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a C−.

Is Fort Wayne, IN expensive?

Not for the area. That is 3.4 years of the area's median household income ($71,213 across the Fort Wayne, IN metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.

What is Fort Wayne, IN known for?

52 notable people were born here, including Carole Lombard and Jenna Fischer.

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