Lewiston Fort Wayne

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Lewiston to Fort Wayne is strongly favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 91.2 to 92.6 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $107/mo.

+$2,138
BLS median salary higher in Fort Wayne
235 to 308
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
17.1:1 to 15.9:1
NCES student-teacher ratio

BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.

Verdict
Strongly Favorable
Cost Index: 91.2 → 92.6
Rent Delta: -$107/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $107/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + $2K higher median salary
  • + Better student-teacher ratios
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - Higher violent crime rate

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 91.2 to 92.6 (ratio 1.02), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $107/mo ($1,284/yr) from $1,220 in Lewiston to $1,113 in Fort Wayne.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 2 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Fort Wayne sits #171 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Lewiston is #135/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Strongly Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $2,138 higher ($59,266 → $61,404). Labor-market size: 22,910 tracked jobs at origin vs 217,390 at destination.

State retirement friendliness is near-even: Idaho 58 (D, #30/51) vs Indiana 62 (C, #24/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Lewiston
Fort Wayne
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 91.2
RPP 92.6
Lewiston
Rent (2BR)
$1,220/mo
$1,113/mo
Fort Wayne
Wages
$59,266
$61,404
Fort Wayne
Crime
235 per 100K
308 per 100K
Lewiston
Schools
17.1:1
15.9:1
Fort Wayne
Childcare
$7,315/yr
N/A
Tie
Environment
2331 violations
1514 violations
Fort Wayne

State retirement friendliness

Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.

Origin state · Idaho
58 D #30/51
Income tax
70
Property tax
76
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
24
Destination state · Indiana
62 C #24/51
Income tax
72
Property tax
69
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
32

Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Lewiston 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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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026