Median rent is 10% lower in Toledo ($901/mo vs $999/mo). Buying is cheaper in Toledo, where the median home runs $114,500 versus $188,900. Households earn more in Fort Wayne ($61,422 vs $49,724 a year).
City A
Fort Wayne, IN
City B
Toledo, OH
How much would you need to earn in Toledo, OH to maintain your standard of living from Fort Wayne, IN?
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
Fort Wayne
Indiana
Toledo
Ohio
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
Median rent is modestly lower in Toledo at $901/mo compared to $999/mo in Fort Wayne (10% gap). Home buyers face a steeper market in Fort Wayne: the median home is $188,900 versus $114,500 in Toledo — 39% more expensive.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Fort Wayne
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Toledo
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Fort Wayne has cleaner air on average: 28.0 AQI (Good) compared to 32.0 AQI (Good) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Fort Wayne if you prioritize higher median household income ($61,422/yr).
Is Fort Wayne cheaper than Toledo?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Fort Wayne vs Toledo?
Median rent is $999/mo in Fort Wayne, IN and $901/mo in Toledo, OH. Toledo, OH has the lower rent by about 10%.
Which has higher salaries — Fort Wayne or Toledo?
Median household income is $61,422 in Fort Wayne, IN and $49,724 in Toledo, OH. Fort Wayne, IN has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Fort Wayne, IN has better air quality on average: 28.0 AQI versus 32.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Fort Wayne or Toledo?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Toledo to match my Fort Wayne income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
