Fort Wayne ranked the cheapest place to live in US – again (2024)

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Fort Wayne ranked the cheapest place to live in US – again? ›

Niche has ranked Fort Wayne the most affordable city to live in the United States, in a newly released report. Two Texas cities – Wichita Falls and Brownsville – came in just behind Fort Wayne at Nos. 2 and 3, while South Bend was ranked No. 4.

The study looked at which metro areas across the nation are the most affordable to live in. In that 2023 study, Fort Wayne ranked among the cheapest places to live in the country. Fort Wayne recently moved up a spot and is the 83rd largest American city.

The article says Fort Wayne ranked fifth in the United States as one of the least expensive cities to live in and fifteenth in being a good place for people to retire. Additionally, the city received an 8.1 out of 10 in terms of the value of living.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) Fort Wayne remained the 83rd most populous city in the United States in 2023 according to U.S. Census data released Thursday. It held that same ranking in 2022.

In its report, Niche also ranks the cheapest cities to live in the U.S. At the top of the list this year is South Bend, Indiana, a three-point jump from 2023, when it ranked number four.

Yes, Fort Wayne is generally considered a very good place to move. It's known for its low cost of living, arts and culture scene, great schools, job opportunities, green spaces, and recreational activities, as well as its friendly, midwestern vibe.

(WANE) U.S. News & World Report has published its latest “Best Places” lists and Fort Wayne fares very well. The Summit City comes in at number 5 in the “Top 25 Most Affordable Places to Live in the U.S.” ranking, number 15 in “Best Places to Retire” ranking, and number 33 in the “Best Places to Live” ranking.

Slow wage growth for area residents has kept “comfortable” out of reach for many. Using the 50/30/20 budget, the site said a single person in Fort Wayne would need to earn $84,032 a year to live comfortably. That number climbed to $200,262 for a family with two working adults and two children.

The study states, that to live comfortably in Fort Wayne a single adult household needs to make an hourly wage of $40.40 or a salary of $84,032. A salary of $200,262 is needed for a two-working adult household with two children.

Why is Fort Wayne famous? ›

Fort Wayne is noted as a centre of higher learning; its institutions include Concordia Theological Seminary (1846), Indiana Institute of Technology (1930), Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne (1917), and the University of St. Francis (1890).

As of May 19, 2024, the average annual pay for an Upper Class in Fort Wayne is $51,893 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $24.95 an hour. This is the equivalent of $997/week or $4,324/month.

Overall, the city with the cheapest average rent in the U.S. was listed as Wichita, Kansas, with a population of nearly 400,000. The average rent for all apartment sizes in Wichita is just $598 a month, the report said — adding that no other city averages under $700.

Officials with the site say the study considered 99 of the largest U.S. cities and used the latest data from the MIT Living Wage Calculator. The study states, that to live comfortably in Fort Wayne a single adult household needs to make an hourly wage of $40.40 or a salary of $84,032.

(WFFT) - Fort Wayne is the 83rd largest city in the U.S. according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the fastest-growing large city in the Midwest. The city population has grown 2.12 percent since 2020, totaling the number of residents in 2023 at 269,994.