Lima Fort Wayne

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Lima to Fort Wayne is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 89.7 to 92.6 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $5/mo.

+$78
BLS median salary higher in Fort Wayne
293 to 308
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
18.2:1 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
Favorable
Cost Index: 89.7 → 92.6
Rent Delta: +$5/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + Better student-teacher ratios

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 89.7 to 92.6 (ratio 1.03), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent barely moves ($1,108 → $1,113); the housing line is not the swing factor on this corridor.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (2 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Fort Wayne sits #171 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Lima is #156/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $78 higher ($61,326 → $61,404). Labor-market size: 43,810 tracked jobs at origin vs 217,390 at destination.

State retirement friendliness is near-even: Ohio 59 (D, #29/51) vs Indiana 62 (C, #24/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Lima
Fort Wayne
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 89.7
RPP 92.6
Lima
Rent (2BR)
$1,108/mo
$1,113/mo
Lima
Wages
$61,326
$61,404
Fort Wayne
Crime
293 per 100K
308 per 100K
Lima
Schools
18.2:1
15.9:1
Fort Wayne
Childcare
$11,791/yr
N/A
Tie
Environment
1500 violations
1514 violations
Lima

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 · Ohio
59 D #29/51
Income tax
72
Property tax
57
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
10
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 Lima 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