Carmel vs Fort Wayne
Carmel, Indiana versus Fort Wayne, Indiana: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Carmel and Fort Wayne score about the same overall (50 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Carmel | Fort Wayne |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $133k | $58k |
| Cost of Living | $53k | $47k |
| Home Value | $426k | $153k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $904 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.85% | 0.87% |
| Income Tax | 5.20% | 4.95% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.23% | 9.55% |
| Unemployment | 2.6% | 5.8% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 29°F | 25°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 76°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 44.2 in | 38.7 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 20.3 in | 33.6 in |
| Sunny Days | 168 days | 173 days |
| Summer Humidity | 65°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 84 days | 103 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 32.3 | 24.6 |
| Air Quality | 50 AQI | 48 AQI |
| School Quality | 57.1 | 54.0 |
| Violent Crime | 323/100k | 1693/100k |
| Property Crime | 813/100k | 2391/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 99,453 | 264,514 |
| Median Age | 40.6 | 35.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.36 | 0.50 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.92 | 0.95 |
| Political Leaning | Even | R+11 |
| White (%) | 76.8% | 64.8% |
| Black (%) | 3.5% | 15.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 4.4% | 9.7% |
| Asian (%) | 11.3% | 5.6% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.0% | 5.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 25 min | 21 min |
| Walkability | 9.5/20 | 14.6/20 |
| Airport Distance | 19 mi | 112 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 96.5% | 88.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 40.82 | 11.15 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Carmel or Fort Wayne more affordable?
- Fort Wayne has the lower cost of living: its index is $47k, compared with Carmel's $53k and Fort Wayne's $47k. Median rent is $1k in Carmel versus $904 in Fort Wayne.
- Is Carmel or Fort Wayne safer?
- Carmel has the lower violent crime rate. Carmel reports 323/100k and Fort Wayne reports 1693/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Carmel or Fort Wayne?
- The median home value is $426k in Carmel and $153k in Fort Wayne, so homes are more affordable in Fort Wayne.