Median rent is 31% lower in Fort Wayne ($999/mo vs $1,440/mo). Buying is cheaper in Fort Wayne, where the median home runs $188,900 versus $334,100. Households earn more in Chicago ($77,902 vs $61,422 a year).
City A
Chicago, IL
City B
Fort Wayne, IN
How much would you need to earn in Fort Wayne, IN to maintain your standard of living from Chicago, IL?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Chicago
Illinois
Fort Wayne
Indiana
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Renters will find significantly cheaper housing in Fort Wayne — median rent of $999/mo versus $1,440/mo in Chicago, a 31% difference. Home buyers face a steeper market in Chicago: the median home is $334,100 versus $188,900 in Fort Wayne — 43% more expensive.
Metric
Chicago
Fort Wayne
Software Developer
Registered Nurse
Elementary Teacher
Electrician
Accountant
Higher wage highlighted · BLS OEWS 2023 (metro-level data)
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Chicago
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Fort Wayne
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Fort Wayne has cleaner air on average: 28.0 AQI (Good) compared to 31.0 AQI (Good) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Chicago if you prioritize higher median household income ($77,902/yr).
Pick Fort Wayne if you prioritize cheaper rent ($999/mo median).
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
Median rent is $1,440/mo in Chicago, IL and $999/mo in Fort Wayne, IN. Fort Wayne, IN has the lower rent by about 31%.
Median household income is $77,902 in Chicago, IL and $61,422 in Fort Wayne, IN. Chicago, IL has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Fort Wayne, IN has better air quality on average: 28.0 AQI versus 31.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: June 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
