Property Makler
Advanced analytics for residential real estate investing

Fort Wayne, IN housing market

Housing market indicators

Indicator	2022	2023	2024	2025*	2022	2023	2024	YTD
Median Listing Price per Square Feet	$147	$154	$157	$160	13.1%	4.8%	1.9%	1.9%
Active Listing Count	552	702	831	1,136	55.1%	27.2%	18.4%	36.7%
Median Days on Market	57	50	51	46	67.6%	-12.3%	2%	-9.8%
Share of listings with price increase	1.1%	1%	0.9%	0.6%
Share of listings with price decrease	15.5%	17.4%	18.5%	20.3%

* last available value

Note: 12M MA - 12 months moving average, Permits - New Private Housing Structures Authorized by Building Permits. Source: FRED

The Fort Wayne Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) includes Allen, Adams, DeKalb, Huntington, Wells, and Whitley counties in Indiana.
Total 2024 population is approximately 462,978 to 580,836 across sources, with Fort Wayne city at 273,203 as the largest component.
Area spans 3,525 km² with density around 336.4 people per square mile.
Growing at 1.03% annually in core city, with net domestic migration of 612 and international migration of 2,016 from 2023-2024.

Area	City/Town	Population	Density	Income	Quality of Schools	Crime Level	Property Tax (%)	Comments
Allen County	Fort Wayne	273,203	High urban	Median household $60,293; per capita $44,154	Mixed; GreatSchools 4-9 range	Moderate	0.82-1.2%	Core city, county seat, 66.4% White, 14.61% Black
Allen County	New Haven	16,200	Suburban	Medium	6-8 GreatSchools	Low-moderate	0.82%	Adjacent to Fort Wayne, growing suburb
Allen County	Huntertown	11,481	Low suburban	Medium-high	7-9 GreatSchools	Low	0.82%	Fast-growing northern suburb
DeKalb County	Auburn	13,989	Medium	Medium	5-8 GreatSchools	Low	0.78%	County seat, manufacturing hub
DeKalb County	Garrett	6,663	Medium	Low-medium	4-7 GreatSchools	Moderate	0.78%	Small industrial town
Huntington County	Huntington	17,033	Medium	Medium	6-8 GreatSchools	Low-moderate	0.76%	Regional center, education focus
Wells County	Bluffton	10,556	Medium	Medium	5-7 GreatSchools	Low	0.74%	Agricultural and light industry
Adams County	Decatur	10,072	Medium	Medium	6-8 GreatSchools	Low	0.72%	Swiss heritage, manufacturing
Adams County	Berne	4,310	Low	Medium	7-9 GreatSchools	Very low	0.72%	Amish-influenced, stable rural
Whitley County	Columbia City	10,185	Medium	Medium	5-8 GreatSchools	Low-moderate	0.75%	County seat, recreational lakes nearby

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Density estimates based on urban/suburban/rural classifications; Fort Wayne highest.
Incomes relative to MSA median; no local personal income tax beyond state 3.15% flat rate.
Property taxes effective rates for residential; vary slightly by county.
School ratings from GreatSchools.org aggregates; crime from local indices.

MSA median household income around $60,293 in Fort Wayne core, higher for married families at $93,390.
Per capita income $44,154; poverty rate 15.56% in city.
Age median 35; 47% in Fort Wayne workforce age 18-64.
Bachelor's degree or higher: 28-32% MSA-wide, higher in suburbs like Huntertown.
High school graduate or higher: 92%; associate degrees common in manufacturing workforce.
Racial: 66.4% White, 14.61% Black, 8.43% multiracial, 5.82% Asian in city.

Manufacturing dominates: automotive, RV production, machinery in Fort Wayne, Auburn, Garrett.
Healthcare and education: major employers in Fort Wayne (Parkview, Lutheran hospitals, universities).
Logistics and distribution: central location within 250 miles of 43.9 million people.
Retail and services: growing in urban core.
Agriculture in rural counties like Adams, Wells.
Labor force 289,735 employed; unemployment low at scale of state 8.4% share.

Zoning openness moderate: Fort Wayne allows mixed-use, infill development; suburbs restrictive on density.
Regulatory strictness low-moderate: streamlined permitting in Allen County, building permits issued steadily.
Construction workforce cost low: Indiana labor rates 20-30% below national average.
Land availability high in outer counties; urban land constrained but rezoning active.
New permits focus on single-family in Huntertown, New Haven; multifamily in city core.

Net migration positive: 612 domestic, 2,016 international 2023-2024, driven by affordability.
Growing industries: healthcare expansion, logistics (e-commerce boom), advanced manufacturing (RV sector rebound).
Declining: traditional auto parts in DeKalb; some retail shifts.
Population growth 3.1% since 2020, projected to 594,632 by 2030.
In-migration from high-cost Midwest cities; young families to suburbs.

Supply lag: permitting delays in urban core despite demand.
Affordability pressure: median home prices rose 10-15% yearly, straining low-income households (15.56% poverty).
Aging housing stock: 40% pre-1980 builds need updates.
Crime in pockets of Fort Wayne core impacts urban demand.
Workforce shortages in construction slow new builds.
Flood risk in riverfront areas; infrastructure upgrades needed.

Area	Appreciation Potential	Risk	Key Drivers
Fort Wayne Core	Medium	Medium	Job growth, urban renewal; crime, flood risk
Huntertown/North Allen	High	Low	Suburban expansion, family migration, schools
New Haven/East Allen	Medium-High	Low-Medium	Proximity to city, new construction, logistics jobs
Auburn/DeKalb	Medium	Medium	Manufacturing stability, low taxes; industry shifts
Columbia City/Whitley	Medium	Low	Recreation appeal, steady growth; rural limits
Rural Adams/Wells	Low	High	Agriculture stable, low demand; depopulation risk

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