Davenport vs Fort Wayne
The short version
- Davenport is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 4% lower than in the Fort Wayne area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $166,400 in Davenport and $188,900 in Fort Wayne.
- Households earn more in Davenport ($66,200 vs $61,422 median).
- Fort Wayne is growing faster: +4.3% since 2020 vs -1.3%.
Side by side
| Davenport, IA | Fort Wayne, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 100,358 | 275,203 |
| Growth since 2020 | -1.3% | +4.3% |
| People per square mile | 1,563 | 2,462 |
| Median age | 37.5 | 35.0 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30% | 29% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $66,200 | $61,422 |
| Median home value | $166,400 | $188,900 |
| Home value to income | 2.5× | 3.1× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $978 | $999 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 89.1 | 92.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 68.3 | 72.3 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $66,800 | $69,400 |
| Homeowners | 63% | 62% |
| Top state income tax | 3.8% | 2.95% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.94% | 7% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 19.4 | 21.5 |
| Work from home | 10% | 9% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.6% | 5.6% |
| Poverty rate | 15.2% | 16% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 32° / 15° | 33° / 18° |
| July high / low | 86° / 65° | 84° / 64° |
| Precipitation per year | 38 in | 40 in |
| Snowfall per year | 36 in | 34 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 22 | 16 |
| Nights below freezing | 129 | 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) | 84.9 | 90.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 57% | 57% |
| Home prices, past year | +4.1% | +4.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +36% | +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: Davenport: August to October. Fort Wayne: June to October.
Full monthly tables: Davenport 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 $66,800 in Davenport and $69,400 in Fort Wayne. Moving from Davenport to Fort Wayne, you would need about $77,900 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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