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Place dossier plate
SheetIN-SOUTH-BEND-IN · South Bend, IN 102,866 pop · income 24th pct · 82 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around South Bend
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest South Bend on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Bloomington · lowest
48,918
Bloomington · lowest
48,918 median HH income
32.0% of the leader · rank #1
Avon · near
52,500
Avon · near
52,500 median HH income
34.4% of the leader · rank #2
Malvern · near
52,500
Malvern · near
52,500 median HH income
34.4% of the leader · rank #3
McIntyre · near
52,500
McIntyre · near
52,500 median HH income
34.4% of the leader · rank #4
South Bend · this city
52,512
South Bend · this city
52,512 median HH income
34.4% of the leader · rank #5
Alamogordo · near
52,515
Alamogordo · near
52,515 median HH income
34.4% of the leader · rank #6
San Mateo · highest
152,669
San Mateo · highest
152,669 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for South Bend on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 102,866.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
South Bend - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, South Bend places in the 24th percentile for household income and the 16th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
24th
percentile, household income
19th
percentile, home value
27th
percentile, median rent
16th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: South Bend, IN
South Bend is a mid-sized U.S. city in Indiana, home to 102,866 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in South Bend brings in $52,512 a year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 17.0%. Typical homes in South Bend are valued around $124,500, and the median resident age is 33.9 years. 29.4% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 59.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
South Bend's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 3009.2 in FBI UCR data, above the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Living costs in Indiana run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Indiana at 93.3 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,096 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Indiana run around $235, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 45.5 out of 100 (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of South Bend's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from schools and households to reported crime to work and mobility to population change to housing and income to within-city variation to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For South Bend, city-specific coverage includes FBI reported-crime rates, within-city Census tract profiles, matched public-school count, commute-mode shares, annual population history.
No matched row is reported here for local building permits; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for South Bend?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 36 public schools within the city match. 29.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
What can the FBI record say about safety in South Bend?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 3009.2 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 32% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
What can 82 Census tracts reveal inside South Bend?
PlainCities matches 82 Census tracts to this city.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
Which cities make useful reference points for South Bend?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Indiana, the closest population matches are Fishers (100,918 residents, $128,141 income); Carmel (100,501 residents, $134,602 income); Evansville (116,441 residents, $52,251 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Goodyear, AZ (102,891 residents); Lee's Summit, MO (102,583 residents); Edinburg, TX (102,561 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in South Bend?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 71.4%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Drive alone
71.4%
Work from home
10.0%
Public transit
1.7%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 45,757 workers age 16+.
Is South Bend growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -140 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -0.1% change. No comparable local building-permit series is available here, so population change should not be read as a housing-supply measure. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
The recent population line is broadly flat. That makes the composition of change more important than the headline count: housing turnover, household size, and age structure can shift even when the total barely moves.
2020 estimate
103,341
2025 estimate
103,201
Period change
-0.1%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
How far does income reach against housing in South Bend?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.
The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 2.4 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 17.0%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Value / income
2.4×
Home value
$124,500
Household income
$52,512
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Indiana average
F
City profile score · South Bend, IN
33/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living B
93.3 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Bachelor's+ share C
29.4%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income F
$52,512
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
17.0%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
965 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
South Bend profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 72/100 (B) · 93.3 index
Bachelor's+ share: 57/100 (C) · 29.4%
Household income: 24/100 (F) · $52,512
Poverty rate: 19/100 (F) · 17.0%
Violent crime: 0/100 (F) · 965 /100k
Where South Bend sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
South Bend's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - South Bend highlighted among 13 peers.Read the chart values
South Bend, IN (this city): home $124,500, crime 3,009/100k
Goodyear, AZ : home $441,900, crime 1,645/100k
Lee's Summit, MO : home $313,200, crime 2,444/100k
Edinburg, TX : home $174,800, crime 2,027/100k
Daly City, CA : home $1,092,700, crime 2,105/100k
Wichita Falls, TX : home $142,600, crime 2,969/100k
San Mateo, CA : home $1,563,200, crime 2,127/100k
Fishers, IN : home $370,200, crime 732/100k
Carmel, IN : home $455,500, crime 879/100k
Evansville, IN : home $129,100, crime 4,885/100k
Bloomington, IN : home $289,700, crime 3,005/100k
Hammond, IN : home $141,700, crime 3,814/100k
Noblesville, IN : home $321,800, crime 622/100k
How does South Bend compare to other US cities?
Where South Bend sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income24% higher than other cities
Home value19% pricier than other cities
Median rent27% pricier than other cities
Safety16% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Indiana and the picture shifts: South Bend ranks #104 of 110 Indiana cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares South Bend against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Indiana only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Indiana-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places South Bend near the bottom of Indiana's cities
Among the 850 Indiana cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, South Bend ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares South Bend only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#552 of 766
28th percentile in Indiana
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 850
0th percentile in Indiana
Median Home Value
#431 of 771
44th percentile in Indiana
Poverty Rate
#119 of 849
86th percentile in Indiana
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#150 of 850
82nd percentile in Indiana
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Indiana only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
24th percentile nationally for median household income · 16th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
South Bend's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
South Bend's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How South Bend's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$124,500Among the most affordablemore affordable than 81% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
South Bend's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.4×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#3,336 of 15,516
More affordable than 78% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#22 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 2.4×, South Bend sits in the affordable band:
national rank #3,336 of 15,516 and #22 of 750mid-size cities (50,000–199,999).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$52,512South Bend, IN median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context South Bend, IN median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for South Bend, IN.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)29.4%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)17.0%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)59.2%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
102,866
Median Income
$52,512
Median Home Value
$124,500
Median Age
33.9
Poverty Rate
17.0%
Labor force participation
59.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
29.4%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
3009.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
965.0
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2044.2
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
36
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
South Bend's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
103,341 residents
2021
103,159 residents
2022
103,228 residents
2023
103,534 residents
2024
103,411 residents
2025
103,201 residents
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
71.4%
Carpool
11.8%
Public Transit
1.7%
Walk
2.5%
Work from Home
10.0%
Other
2.6%
Based on 45,757 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Indiana statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $235
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Indiana at $235 (electricity about $110 , water and sewer about $45 ).
These are Indiana statewide averages, not a meter reading for South Bend. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Indiana's BEA cost-of-living index is 93.3 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around South Bend is $1,096/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Indiana statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 45.5 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Indiana statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county South Bend sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How South Bend compares to similar-size Indiana cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.