01 · the cities
Wichita
Wichita is the Air Capital of the World, with Cessna, Beechcraft, and major Spirit AeroSystems facilities all here. The Arkansas River runs through downtown, and the Old Town district has brick streets, breweries, and the kind of friendly Kansas pace that makes the rest of the country envious. The flatness is real, and the sunsets are enormous because of it.
full dispatch→Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne sits where three rivers meet (the St. Joseph, the St. Marys, and the Maumee), and the riverfront has been transforming into a real public space. The Children's Zoo is consistently ranked among the country's best. It's the second-largest city in Indiana, with the friendly small-town feel still intact. Cheap, easy, and quietly improving.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,173/mo
$1,187/mo
Median home price
Median home price
$221k
$254k
$32k more than Wichita
State income tax
State income tax
5.7%
3.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,685/mo
$6,896/mo
Fort Wayne has $211/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
164 days
161 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
30 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
20 days
38 days
days below 20°F per year
Wichita has 30 more days above 95°F each year than Fort Wayne. Fort Wayne drops below 20°F on 18 more days per year than Wichita.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
52 / 100
46 / 100
6.0 pts behind Wichita
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
11 routes
10 routes
Metro size
Metro size
653k metro
458k metro
Wichita has 1.2x fewer events per month than Fort Wayne.
the verdict
3
Wichita
categories won
3
Fort Wayne
categories won
Wichita wins on lifestyle, Fort Wayne wins on money. Dead even.
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