Fort Wayne vs Rockford
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $129,000 in Rockford and $188,900 in Fort Wayne.
- Households earn more in Fort Wayne ($61,422 vs $54,752 median).
- Fort Wayne is growing faster: +4.3% since 2020 vs -1.1%.
Side by side
| Fort Wayne, IN | Rockford, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 275,203 | 147,384 |
| Growth since 2020 | +4.3% | -1.1% |
| People per square mile | 2,462 | 2,257 |
| Median age | 35.0 | 37.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29% | 24% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $61,422 | $54,752 |
| Median home value | $188,900 | $129,000 |
| Home value to income | 3.1× | 2.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $999 | $985 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 92.6 | 92.2 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 72.3 | 70.1 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $69,400 | $69,100 |
| Homeowners | 62% | 55% |
| Top state income tax | 2.95% | 4.95% |
| Combined sales tax | 7% | 8.98% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 21.5 | 21.9 |
| Work from home | 9% | 10% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.6% | 8.5% |
| Poverty rate | 16% | 21.3% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 33° / 18° | 29° / 15° |
| July high / low | 84° / 64° | 84° / 64° |
| Precipitation per year | 40 in | 37 in |
| Snowfall per year | 34 in | 37 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 16 | 15 |
| Nights below freezing | 124 | 136 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 90.8 | 92.4 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 57% | 69% |
| Home prices, past year | +4.3% | +8.1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +54.2% | +63.8% |
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: Fort Wayne: June to October. Rockford: May and July to September.
Full monthly tables: Fort Wayne weather by month and Rockford weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $69,400 in Fort Wayne and $69,100 in Rockford. Moving from Fort Wayne to Rockford, you would need about $74,700 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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