Rents are 2% below what Fort Wayne's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,257 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
February. Asking rents in Fort Wayne usually run 0.8% below trend in February and 0.7% above it in August, about $19 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Fort Wayne is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Fort Wayne changed +6.7% over the year to September 2026. Across the 49 Indiana cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +4.5%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Fort Wayne rose 45% while median household income rose 24.3% ($49,411 to $61,422). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Fort Wayne is 54.8% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 12 months in a row, and rose in 12 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($61,422) is $1,536 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($1,246); a 3-bedroom is $1,570.
The priciest of 9 ZIP codes in Fort Wayne, 46845 ($1,822/mo), costs 2 times the cheapest, 46806 ($919/mo).
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Fort Wayne. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Fort Wayne, IN is majority owner-occupied, has a median income below the national average, 29% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Fort Wayne, IN has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2021, rent in Fort Wayne, IN has climbed by $380 per month, settling near $1,257 after starting the period at $877. Local incomes tracked alongside that move, going from a median of $53,978 in 2021 to $61,422 more recently. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 29.5 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 262,676 to 268,589 between 2021 and 2024, a 2.3% change. These shifts give renters and would-be renters a longer baseline for sizing up today's listings against the Fort Wayne, IN market of 2021.
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At $1,257/mo, how Fort Wayne rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Fort Wayne rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Fort Wayne. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Fort Wayne
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Fort Wayne is $1,257/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $981/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,246/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,029/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,570/mo.
At 25% of local median household income ($61,422/yr), Fort Wayne ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 6.7% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Fort Wayne?
At $1,257/mo, rent takes ~25% of Fort Wayne's median household income ($61,422/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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