Fort Wayne, Indiana Population 2024

271,493

Fort Wayne is a city located in Allen County Indiana. Fort Wayne has a 2024 population of 271,493. It is also the county seat of Allen County. Fort Wayne is currently growing at a rate of 0.66% annually and its population has increased by 2.7% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 264,361 in 2020.

The average household income in Fort Wayne is $76,890 with a poverty rate of 15.16%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Fort Wayne is 35.1 years, 33.7 years for males, and 36.6 years for females.

One interesting fact about the population in Fort Wayne is that it has the largest population of Burmese Americans in the country. There are approximately 6,000 of these residents living in Fort Wayne. Fort Wayne is a religious center, known as the “City of Churches” because it is home to about 360 churches. Over half of city residents say that they are religious, with the majority following Catholicism.

Fort Wayne Population Growth

Fort Wayne has experienced rapid growth throughout its history, except a population decline recorded between the 1970 and 1980 censuses. The city has primarily seen population percentage increases in the double-digits, with growth between the last two censuses held in 2000 and 2010 reflecting a 23.3% increase. Since the previous poll was taken, the population has grown about 4.3%. Based on the city’s efforts to revitalize and expand, the current job opportunities available, and past population trends, it’s to be expected that Fort Wayne will continue to see continued growth and may soon hit the 300,000 resident milestone.

Fort Wayne was built by the US Army in 1794 and was named after statesman Anthony Wayne. The fort was incorporated as a town in 1829 and underwent growth following the completion of the canal and railroad. The population was just 300 when it was designated as a town, but this number jumped to over 2,000 when it was incorporated as a city only 11 years later.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Fort Wayne’s population had already reached 50,000, primarily due to the migration of German and Irish immigrants that came to work in industrial and railroad jobs. During this time, the economy of Fort Wayne was centered on manufacturing, and it was during this period that many new inventions and innovations came from the city, including gas pumps and the first home video game console.

The Great Depression affected Fort Wayne much like other cities in the US by displacing much of its factory workforce. However, just a few years later, over 7,000 people in Fort Wayne were employed to improve and develop local infrastructure. Following World War II, the city became prosperous again. The 1950s saw an expansion of the city through the development of thousands of homes and the city’s first bypass and arena. Construction continued through the 1960s to build out the rural areas.

The deindustrialization of the 1980s brought challenges to Fort Wayne, including the loss of manufacturing jobs and an increase in crime. The city was also hit by a flood in the early 1980s that displaced thousands and led to millions of dollars in damage. The next decade brought a period of revitalization for the city, with local officials working to reduce crime and redevelop the downtown area. By the end of the decade, the city had a much lower crime rate and a 2.5% unemployment rate.

The city continues to focus on redevelopment and growth. The city has renovated and expanded many of its buildings including the public library and its art museum. New renovations in recent years also include the opening of the Jefferson Pointe lifestyle center and the Parkview Regional Medical Center. Today, the city’s economy is no longer based around manufacturing but instead is centered on transportation and logistics, healthcare, financial services, distribution, and leisure and hospitality.

Fort Wayne Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Fort Wayne was:

  • White: 68.07%
  • Black or African American: 15.23%
  • Two or more races: 7.04%
  • Asian: 5.59%
  • Other race: 3.77%
  • Native American: 0.25%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.05%
State
Indiana
Land Area (mi²)
110.6 sq mi
Density (mi²)
2,453.90/sq mi
Growth Since 2020
2.7% (7,132)
The current population of Fort Wayne, Indiana is 271,493 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 264,361.

Fort Wayne, Indiana Population 2024

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
White180,05468.07%
Black or African American40,28515.23%
Two or more races18,6247.04%
Asian14,7815.59%
Other race9,9653.77%
Native American6740.25%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander1310.05%

White

Black or African American

Two or more races

Asian

Other race

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Fort Wayne Population by Race

Fort Wayne Population Pyramid 2024

Fort Wayne Median Age

35.1

Total

33.7

Male

36.6

Female

Fort Wayne Adults

There are 200,319 adults, (38,940 of whom are seniors) in Fort Wayne.

Fort Wayne Age Dependency

63.9

Age Dependency Ratio

24.1

Old Age Dependency Ratio

39.8

Child Dependency Ratio

Fort Wayne Sex Ratio

Female135,33651.16%
Male129,17848.84%

Fort Wayne Population by Age

Fort Wayne Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All107,7642.4162.637.4
Non Family44,0811.2447.252.8
Married42,9933.1783.516.5
Female14,9383.44852
Male5,7523.161.938.1

3.11

Average Family Size

2.41

Average Household Size

62.6%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Fort Wayne Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Fort Wayne Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Fort Wayne Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 94.46%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 32.94%.

Fort Wayne Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$42,010

Average Earnings

$49,140

Average Male

$34,907

Average Female

Fort Wayne Earnings by Educational Attainment

Fort Wayne Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Fort Wayne Language

86.75% of Fort Wayne residents speak only English, while 13.25% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 6.49% of the population.

Fort Wayne Language

Fort Wayne Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
White167,83717,81010.61%
Black39,45910,33326.19%
Hispanic25,2775,80422.96%
Multiple18,0364,02422.31%
Asian14,6343,37723.08%
Other9,8591,73917.64%
Native66521332.03%
Islander11343.54%

15.16%

Overall Poverty Rate

13.32%

Male Poverty Rate

16.92%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Fort Wayne

The race most likely to be in poverty in Fort Wayne is Native, with 32.03% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Fort Wayne is Islander, with 3.54% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.21%. Among those working part-time, it was 18.83%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 23%.

Fort Wayne Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade28.06%
High School14.72%
Some College9.92%
Bachelors or Greater4.9%

Fort Wayne Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed47.55%
Male Unemployed22.89%
Female Employed8.69%
Male Employed5.41%

Fort Wayne Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Fort Wayne Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Fort Wayne Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

43.3%

Overall Marriage Rate

45.3%

Male Marriage Rate

41.5%

Female Marriage Rate

Fort Wayne Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Fort Wayne Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.

Fort Wayne Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Fort Wayne Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

13,095

Number of Veterans

11,986

Male Veterans

1,109

Female Veterans

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Fort Wayne Veterans by War

count

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Fort Wayne Veterans by Age

count

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Fort Wayne Veterans by Race

Fort Wayne Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

7.13%

Veteran Poverty Rate

31.47%

Veteran Disability Rate

Fort Wayne Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

66.2%

Labor Force Participation

62.3%

Employment Rate

5.8%

Unemployment Rate

Fort Wayne Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Fort Wayne Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Fort Wayne Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

65.48%

Born in Fort Wayne

91.28%

Native Born

8.72%

Foreign Born

4.73%

Non Citizen

3.99%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

91.28% of Fort Wayne residents were born in the United States, with 65.48% having been born in Indiana. 4.73% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.

Fort Wayne Place of Birth

Note: data after 2022 is projected based on recent change

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Year
Population
Growth
Growth Rate
2029280,4081,7830.64%
2028278,6251,7830.64%
2027276,8421,7830.65%
2026275,0591,7830.65%
2025273,2761,7830.66%
2024271,4931,7830.66%
2023269,7101,7830.67%
2022267,9271,5550.58%
2021266,3722,0110.76%
2020264,361-5,826-2.16%
2019270,1872,7491.03%
2018267,4382,2750.86%
2017265,1631,5900.6%
2016263,5731,3880.53%
2015262,1851,5660.6%
2014260,6191,2620.49%
2013259,3571,7250.67%
2012257,6321,3460.53%
2011256,2862,1520.85%
2010254,134
2000205,72732,65518.87%
1990173,0726810.4%
1980172,391-5,878-3.3%
1970178,26916,49310.19%
1960161,77628,16921.08%
1950133,60715,19712.83%
1940118,4103,4643.01%
1930114,94628,39732.81%
192086,54922,61635.37%
191063,93318,81841.71%
190045,1159,72227.47%
189035,3938,51331.67%
188026,8809,16251.71%
187017,7188,59794.26%
18609,1214,839113.01%
18504,282-276,126-98.47%
showing: 36 rows

Fort Wayne Population by Year