Kenosha Fort Wayne

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Favorable
Cost Index: 101.1 → 92.6
Rent Delta: -$289/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 9% lower cost of living
  • + $289/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - $7K lower median salary
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios

Moving from Kenosha to Fort Wayne shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 101.1 to 92.6 (100 = US average), so a Kenosha salary needs to be multiplied by 0.92 to hold the same purchasing power in Fort Wayne. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,402/month in Kenosha to $1,113/month in Fort Wayne - a lower monthly bill of $289, or $3,468/year. That rent delta alone is often the single biggest line item when relocating.

Wages tell the other half. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report a median salary of $68,406 in Kenosha versus $61,404 in Fort Wayne - a raw gap of $7,002 lower. The Fort Wayne labor market has 217,390 tracked jobs against 69,670 in Kenosha, shaping how easy it is to find a comparable role. Combine that with the cost-of-living shift above and you get the real purchasing-power delta, sometimes a "higher salary" is actually a pay cut once rent and RPP are applied.

Safety, schools, and childcare round out the move. FBI UCR violent crime rates near Kenosha and Fort Wayne are 280 and 308 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 14.4:1 at origin versus 15.9:1 at destination. Our composite verdict - Favorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Kenosha
Fort Wayne
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 101.1
RPP 92.6
Fort Wayne
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,402/mo
$1,113/mo
Fort Wayne
💼 Wages
$68,406
$61,404
Kenosha
🔒 Crime
280 per 100K
308 per 100K
Kenosha
🎓 Schools
14.4:1
15.9:1
Kenosha
👶 Childcare
$11,256/yr
N/A
Tie
🌿 Environment
2233 violations
1467 violations
Fort Wayne

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Kenosha to see what you'd need to earn in Fort Wayne to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Fort Wayne
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Fort Wayne more expensive than Kenosha?
Fort Wayne has an RPP of 92.6 compared to Kenosha's 101.1 (100 = national average). Kenosha is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Fort Wayne is $1,113/mo vs $1,402/mo in Kenosha.
What are salaries like in Fort Wayne compared to Kenosha?
The median salary in Fort Wayne is $61,404 compared to $68,406 in Kenosha. That's a -$7,002 difference.
Is Fort Wayne safer than Kenosha?
The violent crime rate near Fort Wayne is 308 per 100K vs 280 per 100K near Kenosha (state-level data). Kenosha has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Fort Wayne to match my Kenosha salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Kenosha salary by 0.92. For example, a $75,000 salary in Kenosha would need to be $68,661 in Fort Wayne. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Favorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Favorable" means the destination edges ahead on balance. Individual priorities may shift the balance, weigh the dimensions that matter most to you.

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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026

Data Sources

  • Cost of Living: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities
  • Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)
  • Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES)
  • Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - state level
  • Schools: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
  • Childcare: Department of Labor (DOL) - state level
  • Environment: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)