Metropolitan Area

Fort Wayne, IN

Indiana0
64
/100
Buy
#386 of 894 metros
Top 43% nationally for investing

Market Snapshot

$259,816
Median Home Price
2% above national median
$1,264/mo
Median Rent
9% below national median
5.84%
Rent-to-Price Ratio
Top 52% nationally
-$617
Est. Monthly Cash Flow
With 20% down at 7.4% rate

Price History

Median Home Price

Median Rent

Stored observations from 2016-07-31 to 2026-06-29. Source: Zillow ZHVI/ZORI. Missing rents are shown as gaps.

Quick Investment Calculator

20%
5%50%100%

Purchase

Purchase Price$259,816
Down Payment (20%)$51,963
Loan Amount$207,853
Interest Rate7.40%

Monthly Cash Flow

Gross Rent+$1,264
Monthly P&I-$1,439
Est. Expenses (35%)-$443
Net Cash Flow-$618/mo
3.8%
Cap Rate (all cash)
-12.4%
Cash-on-Cash Return
5.84%
Rent-to-Price Ratio
Negative leverage: At 7.40% rates, borrowing costs exceed the 3.8% cap rate. All-cash buyers may see better returns.

* Based on metro-wide median values. 35% expenses include taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, and property management. Individual counties and properties vary significantly.

Score Breakdown

Overall Investment Score
64/100
64
Cash Flow(30%)
58/100

Based on 5.84% rent-to-price ratio. Higher ratios indicate stronger cash flow potential.

Appreciation(25%)
79/100

Based on 3.0% YoY price growth. Moderate growth (3-8%) scores highest.

Stability(25%)
50/100

Based on 0.0% population growth. Growing areas indicate economic stability.

Affordability(20%)
74/100

Based on price relative to estimated local incomes.

Scores are calculated using real Zillow metro-level home value and rent data, Census population data, and economic indicators. The weighted average produces the overall investment score. This metro score represents area-wide averages; individual counties may vary significantly.

Investment Outlook

Strengths

  • +Affordable relative to local incomes
  • +Low unemployment (0.0%)

Challenges

  • -Negative cash flow at typical financing (-$617/mo)
  • -Negative leverage (cap rate 3.8% < mortgage rate 7.4%)

Counties in Fort Wayne, IN

County data is being compiled for this metro area.

Section 8 in Fort Wayne, IN: payment standards by ZIP, PHA waitlist status, and voucher counts are on VoucherMatch, the same HUD dataset with the tenant demand side attached.

Compare to Similar Metros

Metro AreaVerdict
Blytheville, AR
Blytheville, AR
84$115,156$1,06411.08%Strong BuyView
Roanoke Rapids, NC
Roanoke Rapids, NC
84$107,523$1,07712.02%Strong BuyView
Enid, OK
Enid, OK
83$144,157$1,25010.40%Strong BuyView
Houghton, MI
Houghton, MI
83$194,696$1,73310.68%Strong BuyView
Big Spring, TX
Big Spring, TX
83$150,742$1,34010.67%Strong BuyView
Current
Fort Wayne, IN
64$259,816$1,2645.84%Buy

The Bottom Line

BuyFort Wayne, IN offers solid investment potential with good cash flow or appreciation prospects.

The Fort Wayne, IN metro area scores 64/100, ranking #386 of 894 US metros (top 43%). The 5.84% rent-to-price ratio may require targeting specific counties or creative strategies for positive cash flow. Current metro-wide averages make traditional buy-and-hold investing challenging. Consider house hacking, value-add strategies, or drilling down to specific counties.

Monthly Cash Flow
$-617/mo
Cap Rate
3.8%
Cash-on-Cash
-14.3%

Ready to Invest in Fort Wayne, IN?

Use our investment calculators to run detailed numbers on specific properties, or explore individual counties for more targeted opportunities.