Cedar Rapids vs Fort Wayne
The short version
- Cedar Rapids is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 4% lower than in the Fort Wayne area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $187,100 in Cedar Rapids and $188,900 in Fort Wayne.
- Households earn more in Cedar Rapids ($70,424 vs $61,422 median).
- Fort Wayne is growing faster: +4.3% since 2020 vs +0.1%.
Side by side
| Cedar Rapids, IA | Fort Wayne, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 137,935 | 275,203 |
| Growth since 2020 | +0.1% | +4.3% |
| People per square mile | 1,848 | 2,462 |
| Median age | 37.3 | 35.0 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33% | 29% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $70,424 | $61,422 |
| Median home value | $187,100 | $188,900 |
| Home value to income | 2.7× | 3.1× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $967 | $999 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 89.0 | 92.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 71.4 | 72.3 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $66,700 | $69,400 |
| Homeowners | 69% | 62% |
| Top state income tax | 3.8% | 2.95% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.94% | 7% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 18.6 | 21.5 |
| Work from home | 13% | 9% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3.6% | 5.6% |
| Poverty rate | 10.8% | 16% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 30° / 13° | 33° / 18° |
| July high / low | 86° / 63° | 84° / 64° |
| Precipitation per year | 39 in | 40 in |
| Snowfall per year | 34 in | 34 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 18 | 16 |
| Nights below freezing | 134 | 124 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 86.7 | 90.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 61% | 57% |
| Home prices, past year | +4.9% | +4.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +35.1% | +54.2% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Cedar Rapids: July to September. Fort Wayne: June to October.
Full monthly tables: Cedar Rapids weather by month and Fort Wayne weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $66,700 in Cedar Rapids and $69,400 in Fort Wayne. Moving from Cedar Rapids to Fort Wayne, you would need about $78,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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