Fort Wayne, IN — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Indiana·Fort Wayne

Allen County · Fort Wayne · population 273,203

First-time buyersInvestorsBig-city amenities
Fort Wayne, IN
Image: Wikipedia · Fort Wayne, Indiana
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
75
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Fort Wayne stands

At or near all-time high. averaging 7.1% annual growth over 5 years. rents up 5.9% in the last year.

Median home $245,993
1-year +2.5%
5-yr CAGR +7.1%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.9%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$246k$104k$155k$205k$256k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
38/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
88/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,232/mo$812$1,059$1,306202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent141143100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 16.6
Lean buy

At a 16.6 price-to-rent ratio, Fort Wayne is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
63 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
75 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
62 · w16%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
82 · w10%
Long thesis

Fort Wayne has averaged 7.1% annual appreciation over five years and the trend is still live (+2.5% in the last 12 months). When a momentum trade keeps working, the simplest explanation is usually correct: more people want in.

Short thesis

Fort Wayne's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne is a city in Allen County, Indiana, with an estimated population of 273,203. The population grew 0.9% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Fort Wayne is $245,993 as of 2026-04, up 2.5% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +7.1% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Fort Wayne average $1,232 per month, up 5.9% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 75 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Affordable AND rising: median home $245,993 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Healthy 5-year run: +7.1% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +2.5% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
●Hot rental market: rents up 5.9% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Fort Wayne (Wikipedia)

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 83rd-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.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorSharon Tucker
Area110.79 sq mi
Elevation758 ft
EstablishedJanuary 3, 1829
Motto''Kekionga''
Densityauto/sq mi
Named forAnthony Wayne

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Things to see in Fort Wayne(Attractions)

  • Science Central
  • Fort Wayne Zoo
  • Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory
  • Fort Wayne Museum of Art
  • American Alliance of Museums
  • American art
  • Old City Hall
  • Richardville House
  • National Historic Landmarks
  • Allen County Public Library

Extracted from the Wikipedia article. Names linked in the source — open the city’s Wikipedia page for details.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Allen County right now.

NWS active alerts (IN)Indiana Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Allen County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Fort Wayne

244 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Sycamore Hills$682,203+2.7%
2Inverness Lakes$612,105+2.0%
3Bittersweet Lakes$586,458+1.4%
4La Cabreah$477,169+3.1%
5Cherry Hill$467,633+2.8%
6Woodmont$463,145+2.9%
7Woodland Lake$460,054+3.1%
8North Pointe Woods$444,866+1.4%
9Chandlers Landing$432,889+2.8%
10Eagle Lake$428,432+1.3%
11Eagle Creek$427,651+2.5%
12Coves at West lakes$405,894+2.2%
13Village of Buckingham$404,840-1.3%
14Westchester Glens$398,919+0.9%
15Oakborough$393,375+1.3%
16Saratoga Park$383,252+0.6%
17Timber Lake-Covington Woods$382,397+2.0%
18Forest Ridge Estates$378,203+4.7%
19Falls of Beaver Creek$370,645+1.0%
20Shorewood$352,672+2.2%
21Hacienda Village$348,282+2.8%
22Pine Valley$347,891+3.5%
23Plantation of Aboite$336,486+6.5%
24Kekionga Shores$336,106+3.7%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Fort Wayne

Lafayette, IN71 · RisingMuncie, IN72 · RisingCarmel, IN74 · RisingAnderson, IN74 · Rising

Run the numbers for Fort Wayne

ToolCan I afford Fort Wayne?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Fort Wayne rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Fort Wayne to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolFort Wayne cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
35° / 19°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
85° / 64°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
186
~51% of year
Annual precip
42″ rain
20″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
High
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Fort Wayne listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Fort Wayne area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
72%
Humid climate
Median household income
$67,200
Indiana state median
Top industries (state-level)
Manufacturing (auto)HealthcareLogistics

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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