Cost of Living: Fort Wayne, IN vs Lafayette, IN

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,332/mo in Fort Wayne, IN versus $4,332/mo in Lafayette, IN. In the model, rent is about 13.97% of gross in Fort Wayne, IN versus 15.14% in Lafayette, IN, so Fort Wayne, IN tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Fort Wayne, IN
$4,332/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Lafayette, IN
$4,332/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Fort Wayne, IN
13.97%
COLI tier: lower-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Lafayette, IN
15.14%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Fort Wayne, IN and Lafayette, IN.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Fort Wayne, IN
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Fort Wayne, IN
  • Lower home prices: Lafayette, IN
  • Higher median household income: Fort Wayne, IN

Cost of Living Index

Fort Wayne, IN: 82.8 (U.S. = 100) · Lafayette, IN: 100 (U.S. = 100)

Fort Wayne, IN has a lower cost-of-living index than Lafayette, IN, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Fort Wayne, IN: $911/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Lafayette, IN: $987/mo

Median rent in Lafayette, IN is $76/mo higher than in Fort Wayne, IN.

Median Home Price

Fort Wayne, IN: $169,700 · Lafayette, IN: $157,600

Median home price in Fort Wayne, IN is $12,100 higher than in Lafayette, IN.

Median Household Income

Fort Wayne, IN: $60,293 · Lafayette, IN: $52,946

Fort Wayne, IN has a higher median household income than Lafayette, IN by $7,347.

Fort Wayne, IN overview · Lafayette, IN overview · Popular comparisons