Jobs, pay and daily life in Fort Wayne, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Fort Wayne is a city in Indiana with 268,589 residents. The median household earns $61,422 a year and the median rent is $999 a month, which is 19.5% of the median household income. It is part of the Fort Wayne, IN metropolitan area, where BLS counts 225,520 jobs.
How Fort Wayne compares. Among the 80 largest places in Indiana, Fort Wayne is #2 by population, #21 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #32 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #34 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Allen County, is #13 of 92 counties for average pay ($60,129).
Fort Wayne has 268,589 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 3.9% of the population of Indiana. It covers 112 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,403 people per square mile. The median age is 35.0, 8% younger than the state median (35.0 against 38.1).
The median gross rent is $999 a month (rent plus utilities), 6% below the state median ($999 against $1,062). Over a year that is 19.5% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $188,900, which is 3.1 times the median household income ($61,422); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 61.9% of households own their home, 12% below the state average (61.9% against 70.5%).
The Fort Wayne, IN metropolitan area has 225,520 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $47,700 a year, 6% below the national median ($47,700 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are production (26,380 jobs, median $47,640); transportation and material moving (23,980 jobs, median $41,330); office and administrative support (23,770 jobs, median $46,410). The area is most specialised in production (2.1 times) and healthcare practitioners and technical (1.2 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($106,250) and healthcare practitioners and technical ($79,630). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Allen County was 3.4%. 65.7% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Allen County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 76.8% drive alone, 1.0% use public transit, 1.6% walk, 9.0% work from home. 7.2% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 43% below the state average (7.2% against 12.7%).
29.0% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, about the same as the state share (29.0% against 29.5%). 9.0% of residents were born outside the United States, 43% above the state share (9.0% against 6.3%). The poverty rate is 16.0%, 30% above the state rate (16.0% against 12.3%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 74°F (23.2°C), and the coolest is Jan at 25°F (-3.8°C). About 966 mm (38 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (114 mm) and Feb the driest (55 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: New Haven (7 miles, similar rent); Huntertown (9 miles, rent 55% higher); Auburn (20 miles, rent 13% lower); Huntington (24 miles, rent 12% lower). Rent differences are against Fort Wayne; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Indiana (768) →State guide: IndianaCountry guideAllen CountyIndiana rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 768 federal postings open in Indiana (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Indiana →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 8,260 | 4.05 | $48,120 | $36,180 | $78,480 | +8% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 6,900 | 1.24 | $28,360 | $22,160 | $35,600 | -9% |
| Registered Nurses | 6,450 | 1.32 | $79,630 | $66,160 | $100,390 | -18% |
| Retail Salespersons | 5,860 | 1.04 | $31,200 | $23,450 | $45,680 | -12% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 5,800 | 1.36 | $37,860 | $29,620 | $53,630 | -6% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 4,840 | 0.78 | $35,090 | $29,320 | $36,960 | -2% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 4,590 | 1.12 | $35,690 | $29,810 | $46,550 | -4% |
| Cashiers | 4,440 | 0.99 | $29,590 | $22,550 | $35,840 | -10% |
| Office Clerks, General | 4,250 | 1.19 | $45,140 | $29,380 | $64,750 | +0% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 4,210 | 1.41 | $59,050 | $39,250 | $75,160 | +1% |
| Nursing Assistants | 3,610 | 1.72 | $37,210 | $35,390 | $46,860 | -12% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 3,490 | 1.09 | $36,500 | $27,880 | $47,830 | -1% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 3,150 | 0.96 | $28,650 | $17,430 | $47,840 | -19% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 3,020 | 0.80 | $45,200 | $31,450 | $59,930 | +1% |
| General and Operations Managers | 2,930 | 0.58 | $107,780 | $53,850 | $254,260 | +2% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 2,490 | 1.39 | $71,330 | $38,280 | $130,700 | -1% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 2,210 | 1.00 | $49,250 | $35,080 | $73,490 | -1% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 2,030 | 0.99 | $34,490 | $26,000 | $39,860 | -8% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 1,980 | 0.98 | $59,800 | $47,310 | $79,440 | -7% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 1,970 | 0.99 | $47,770 | $32,550 | $63,940 | -6% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 710 | 1.42 | $388,320 | $68,630 | $388,320 | +46% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 540 | 0.56 | $138,350 | $95,010 | $210,360 | -21% |
| Financial Managers | 920 | 0.75 | $130,900 | $78,630 | $226,250 | -21% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 820 | 1.74 | $127,050 | $106,060 | $154,820 | -4% |
| Lawyers | 510 | 0.46 | $126,520 | $76,670 | $296,460 | -21% |
| Sales Managers | 710 | 0.77 | $122,540 | $63,540 | $211,660 | -17% |
| General and Operations Managers | 2,930 | 0.58 | $107,780 | $53,850 | $254,260 | +2% |
| Industrial Production Managers | 740 | 2.07 | $105,680 | $79,160 | $177,360 | -16% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 870 | 1.01 | $105,030 | $65,330 | $207,160 | -15% |
| Software Developers | 810 | 0.33 | $101,560 | $70,930 | $165,310 | -25% |
| Mechanical Engineers | 560 | 1.30 | $95,310 | $61,350 | $140,020 | -8% |
| Management Analysts | 700 | 0.54 | $93,640 | $58,110 | $138,900 | -8% |
| Project Management Specialists | 650 | 0.42 | $92,590 | $57,470 | $133,020 | -10% |
| Industrial Engineers | 900 | 1.69 | $91,000 | $61,680 | $125,710 | -11% |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 650 | 0.86 | $90,300 | $63,550 | $133,680 | -15% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | 1,250 | 1.06 | $81,760 | $60,150 | $112,530 | +2% |
| Registered Nurses | 6,450 | 1.32 | $79,630 | $66,160 | $100,390 | -18% |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | 820 | 0.84 | $79,210 | $61,520 | $90,390 | +4% |
| Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | 650 | 0.94 | $77,450 | $46,500 | $95,730 | +29% |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | 1,160 | 1.72 | $77,110 | $47,850 | $102,520 | +21% |
These figures are for the whole Fort Wayne, IN metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $47,700 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.4% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 24.0% |
| Manufacturing | 18.5% |
| Retail trade | 12.1% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 8.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 8.2% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 6.1% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 6.0% |
| Construction | 5.2% |
| Other services | 5.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.4% |
| Public administration | 2.3% |
| Information | 1.2% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.5% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Fort Wayne lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allen County | 392,378 | $29,087 million | $74,129 | 197,885 | 10,492 | $60,129 | +0.6% | 3.4% | 205,594 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 38,417 | 21.4% | $67,855 | 1.35 |
| Manufacturing | 29,147 | 16.2% | $71,531 | 1.79 |
| Retail trade | 21,582 | 12.0% | $40,293 | 1.09 |
| Accommodation and food services | 17,279 | 9.6% | $22,861 | 0.96 |
| Construction | 11,421 | 6.4% | $79,530 | 1.10 |
| Administrative and waste services | 9,882 | 5.5% | $44,358 | 0.85 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 8,800 | 4.9% | $56,671 | 1.05 |
| Wholesale trade | 8,770 | 4.9% | $75,799 | 1.12 |
| Finance and insurance | 8,221 | 4.6% | $90,540 | 1.02 |
| Professional and technical services | 6,965 | 3.9% | $85,020 | 0.51 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 6,412 | 3.6% | $39,371 | 1.08 |
| Educational services | 3,048 | 1.7% | $42,979 | 0.74 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 2,587 | 1.4% | $25,202 | 0.78 |
| Management of companies | 2,378 | 1.3% | $109,272 | 0.71 |
| Real estate and rental | 2,306 | 1.3% | $55,339 | 0.75 |
| Information | 1,544 | 0.9% | $75,124 | 0.42 |
| Utilities | 488 | 0.3% | $111,002 | 0.65 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 224 | 0.1% | $47,781 | 0.14 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 124 | 0.1% | $81,539 | 0.17 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 76.8% |
| Public transit | 1.0% |
| Walk | 1.6% |
| Work from home | 9.0% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 7.2% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,422 |
| Income per person | $33,812 |
| Median gross rent per month | $999 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 19.5% |
| Median home value | $188,900 |
| Homeowners | 61.9% |
| Poverty rate | 16.0% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 92.6 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $47,700 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 2.95%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 35.0 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 89.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 29.0% |
| Born abroad | 9.0% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 65.7% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -3.8 | 25 | 59 |
| Feb | -2.5 | 28 | 55 |
| Mar | 3.2 | 38 | 70 |
| Apr | 9.8 | 50 | 90 |
| May | 16.0 | 61 | 114 |
| Jun | 21.0 | 70 | 103 |
| Jul | 23.2 | 74 | 95 |
| Aug | 22.4 | 72 | 95 |
| Sep | 18.6 | 65 | 75 |
| Oct | 11.4 | 53 | 76 |
| Nov | 4.6 | 40 | 70 |
| Dec | -1.0 | 30 | 64 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Haven | IN | 7 mi | 15,698 | $70,970 | $998 |
| Huntertown | IN | 9 mi | 11,379 | $109,432 | $1,550 |
| Auburn | IN | 20 mi | 13,565 | $68,750 | $865 |
| Huntington | IN | 24 mi | 17,030 | $56,520 | $879 |
| Warsaw | IN | 38 mi | 16,768 | $61,035 | $1,066 |
| Marion | IN | 46 mi | 27,531 | $43,343 | $805 |
| Goshen | IN | 49 mi | 34,420 | $59,184 | $1,093 |
| Sturgis | MI | 51 mi | 11,054 | $62,710 | $826 |
| Peru | IN | 54 mi | 10,901 | $46,159 | $826 |
| Lima | OH | 59 mi | 35,010 | $46,240 | $903 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
268,589 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$999 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 19.5% of the median household income.
$61,422 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.4% (BLS county, Allen County (latest month 2026M09)).
Indiana. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.