If you are thinking about visiting Fort Wayne and have some qualms about the safety of the city, we got you covered.
We are going to deep dive into the statistics, look at some maps, graphs and talk to the residents of the city to give you a better understanding of how safe Fort Wayne really is.
Is Fort Wayne Safe?
Fort Wayne is a safe city, as indicated by its crime rates. In 2021, Fort Wayne had a violent crime rate of 263.94 per 100,000 people. Fort Wayne violent crime rate is 34% below than the national average and is one of the safer cities in the United States with a population of over 200,000 people.
Here’s a scale to give you some perspective on Fort Wayne’s violent crime rate:
Fort Wayne, Indiana Crime Stats
Here’s a breakdown of all the crimes in the city for 2021 compared to 2020:
|
2020 |
2021 |
Percent Change |
Homicide |
39 |
41 |
5% |
Rape |
97 |
129 |
33% |
Robbery |
245 |
164 |
-33% |
Aggravated Assault |
743 |
368 |
-50% |
VIOLENT CRIMES TOTAL |
1,124 |
702 |
-38% |
Burglary |
655 |
611 |
-7% |
Larceny/Theft |
4,952 |
4,937 |
-0% |
Motor Vehicle Theft |
510 |
588 |
15% |
Arson |
87 |
89 |
2% |
PROPERTY CRIMES TOTAL |
6,204 |
6,225 |
0% |
TOTALS |
7,328 |
6,927 |
-5% |
*All data is from the FBI UCR and Cross Referenced with the Fort Wayne Police Department*
Fort Wayne Crime Rates
Fort Wayne’s Violent Crime Rate
In 2021 Fort Wayne reported 702 violent crimes and had a violent crime rate of 263.94 per 100,000 people.
- Year over year violent crime has decreased by 38%. Aggravated assaults decreased by 50% and robberies decreased by 33%.
*Violent crimes include; homicides, rape, robbery and aggravated assaults and the violent crime rate is calculated by dividing the number of reported crimes by the total population; the result is multiplied by 100,000.
Fort Wayne’s Murder Rate
In 2021, Fort Wayne reported 41 murders and had a murder rate of 15.42 per 100,000 people. Fort Wayne’s murder rate is more than twice the national average.
- Year over year murder has increased by 8%.
Fort Wayne’s Property Crime Rate
In 2021 Fort Wayne reported 6,225 property crimes and had a property crime rate of 2,340.45 per 100,000 people. Fort Wayne’s property crime rate is 20% higher than the national average.
- Year over year property crime in Fort Wayne has remained the same.
*Property crimes include; burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson and property crime rate is calculated by dividing the number of reported crimes by the total population; the result is multiplied by 100,000.
Fort Wayne vs The Most Dangerous Cities in the United States
Here’s a list of the top 22 most dangerous cities in the United States ranked by violent crime rates.
What do residents say about the safety of Fort Wayne?
- There is no area in Fort Wayne where I feel uncomfortable.
- Its one of the safest city in Indiana
- I’ve lived here for the majority of my life and I believe that as long as you don’t get involved with gangs or drugs and have a mellow and maintain a humble attitude, you will be completely safe.
- Having moved from South Florida to Fort Wayne, I feel so much safer here. Its a night and day difference. Kids leave their bikes and everything on the front yard. People don’t mind having their car windows down.
- Even the ‘bad’ areas in Fort Wayne don’t even come close to the violence that other big cities have.
- Fort Wayne is extremely safe compared to large cities. Most of the violent crimes occurs between people involved in gangs or drugs. If you don’t participate in those activities, you should be fine.
- The city is pretty safe. Even the crappy parts aren’t as bad as crappy parts in other cities.
- There are very few areas where I feel unsafe. The south-east section probably has the most amount of crime and inner-city poverty, but its not that bad and it currently being gentrified.
- Nowhere in Fort Wayne is particularly sketchy. The northside and westside are the more affluent areas and the southside is less affluent.
- I live in the Southside and people from the burbs might tell you that it is not safe, but I have never once felt in danger while living here.
Is Downtown Fort Wayne safe?
Downtown Fort Wayne is generally a safe area to visit during the day and at night. It’s a very popular area that is usually filled with crowds of people and has a good police presence.
You should stay in the downtown area and not stray too far outside as those areas can be a little sketchy at night.
A good rule of thumb is to not cross the bridge on West Main, stay north of Brackendridge and stay west of Clay st.
Is the public transportation of Fort Wayne Safe?
The public transportation system in Fort Wayne is handled by CITILINK and it offers many routes that interweave throughout the entire city. The RTC is generally safe to use during the commuting hours (7am – 7pm), however we do not recommend that you use metro late at night.
Is Fort Wayne safe at night?
Fort Wayne is generally safe at night. At night we recommend that you take a few extra precautions by staying in well populated places, not straying off the beaten path and not walking by yourself.
Tips to stay safe while visiting Fort Wayne, Nevada
- Always be aware of your surroundings. Don’t get lost in your phone while walking around.
- Thoroughly research the city before you arrive. Figure out the good and bad parts of the city and adjust your travels accordingly.
- Save the sightseeing for the daytime and stay out of the sketchy neighborhoods at night.
- Park in lighted/high traffic areas when possible. Don’t leave anything of value in your car or in plain sight in your car.
Facts about Fort Wayne
- The population of Fort Wayne in 2021 was 265,974.
- The median income for a household in the city was $51,454. The per capita income for the city was $27,593.
- 89.0% of residents 25 and older is a high school graduate. 28.2% of residents 25 and older has a bachelors degree or higher.
- 15.5% of the population live below the poverty line.
- The median home value in Fort Wayne is $210K in 2022.
- In 2022, the average rent for a Fort Wayne 2-bedroom apartment is $1,087
- The median age in the city is 34.5 years old.
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