Cost of Living: Fort Wayne, IN vs West 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 West Lafayette, IN. In the model, rent is about 13.97% of gross in Fort Wayne, IN versus 16.78% in West 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 West 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 West Lafayette, IN
16.78%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Fort Wayne, IN and West 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: Fort Wayne, IN
  • Higher median household income: Fort Wayne, IN

Cost of Living Index

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

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

Median Rent

Fort Wayne, IN: $911/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · West Lafayette, IN: $1,095/mo

Median rent in West Lafayette, IN is $184/mo higher than in Fort Wayne, IN.

Median Home Price

Fort Wayne, IN: $169,700 · West Lafayette, IN: $318,100

Median home price in West Lafayette, IN is $148,400 higher than in Fort Wayne, IN.

Median Household Income

Fort Wayne, IN: $60,293 · West Lafayette, IN: $33,497

Fort Wayne, IN has a higher median household income than West Lafayette, IN by $26,796.

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