Columbus, IN vs Fort Wayne, IN: Crime Rate Comparison (2025)
A side-by-side look at reported crime in Columbus and Fort Wayne, on the FBI-based Crime Index (0–100, higher = safer) for 2025.
Columbus is the safer city
Columbus scores 87/100 (grade B) versus 72/100 (grade C) for Fort Wayne — a 15-point gap. Fort Wayne's violent-crime rate is 3.4× Columbus. Across the 8 offense categories, Columbus has the lower rate in 8.
Columbus, IN
SaferCrime Index
- Population
- 52,346
- Violent / 100k
- 80.2
- Property / 100k
- 1,221
- In Indiana
- #6 of 20
Fort Wayne, IN
Crime Index
- Population
- 275,451
- Violent / 100k
- 275
- Property / 100k
- 1,866
- In Indiana
- #9 of 20
Crime rates head-to-head
| Metric | Columbus | Fort Wayne | US average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Index (higher = safer) | 87B | 72C | 73C |
| Violent crime /100k | 80.2 | 275 | 315 |
| Property crime /100k | 1,221 | 1,866 | 1,487 |
| Homicide /100k | 0 | 11.6 | 4.1 |
| Total reported /100k | 1,301 | 2,141 | 1,802 |
Grade shown per index band (88–100 = A … 0–29 = F). Rates are reported offenses per 100,000 residents.
By offense
Rate per 100,000 residents — the lower (safer) city is highlighted.
| Offense | Columbus | Fort Wayne |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 0 | 11.6 |
| Rape | 43.9 | 49 |
| Robbery | 17.2 | 50.1 |
| Aggravated assault | 19.1 | 164 |
| Burglary | 97.4 | 179 |
| Larceny-theft | 1,020 | 1,502 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 95.5 | 170 |
| Arson | 7.6 | 14.9 |
Crime trends
Columbus
Fort Wayne
Frequently asked questions
Is Columbus or Fort Wayne safer?
Which has more violent crime, Columbus or Fort Wayne?
What are the odds of violent crime in Columbus vs Fort Wayne?
No area has zero risk
A high Crime Index score means lower reported crime relative to other US cities — it is not a guarantee of safety. Reported crime is not the same as actual crime. Research on the gap between crime that occurs and crime that gets reported to police — often called the "dark figure" of crime — estimates that roughly 40% of violent crime and about a third of property crime go unreported each year. Every index built on official statistics, including this one, necessarily undercounts real crime. That gap is exactly why homicide — the offense with the smallest dark figure — anchors the calculation instead of a more commonly reported but less reliable category like theft.
Scores on this page reflect FBI-reported data for 2025. See the full methodology →
Protecting yourself in Columbus & Fort Wayne
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