City profile · Indiana · Census ACS 2023

South Bend, IN

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for South Bend — drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

102,866
Residents
$52,512
Median income
$124,500
Median home
$1,096
Median rent

Data Snapshot: South Bend, IN

South Bend is a city in Indiana with a population of 102,866 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $52,512 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 17.0%. Typical homes in South Bend are valued around $124,500, and the median resident age is 33.9 years. About 29.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 59.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 3009.2 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, Indiana registers 93.3 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,096 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $235 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 45.5 out of 100 (Low).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

102,866 residents

Census ACS 2023 — Indiana

Median Household Income

$52,512 /yr

Poverty 17.0%

Cost of Living Index

93.3 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

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 income 24% higher than other cities
Home value 19% pricier than other cities
Median rent 27% pricier than other cities
Safety 16% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare South Bend against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — South Bend, IN Quintile shares of aggregate household income for South Bend, IN. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution South Bend, IN — median $52,512/yr — Census ACS quintile shares QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Household income distribution for South Bend, IN — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

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 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
965.0
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
2044.2
per 1,000 residents

Schools

Total Schools
36
Public schools in this city

Commute Patterns

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

State-average estimates for Indiana — EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$110
avg/month
Natural Gas
$80
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$235
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Indiana state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Indiana state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
93.3
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,096/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
45.5 / 100
Low
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — South Bend, IN Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition South Bend, IN — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How South Bend compares to nearby Indiana cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (South Bend) plus the nearest peer cities in Indiana, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

IN

South Bend

52.51% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$52,512
Brackets
103
Selected

IN

Fishers

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$10,090
Brackets
101
Selected

IN

Carmel

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$10,050
Brackets
101
Selected

IN

Evansville

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$11,640
Brackets
116
Census ACS 5-year FIPS IN FBI UCR NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about South Bend, IN?

What is the population of South Bend, IN? +

South Bend, IN has a population of 102,866 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in South Bend, IN? +

The median household income in South Bend is $52,512 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in South Bend? +

South Bend has a cost of living index of 93.3 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is South Bend, IN safe? +

South Bend has a total crime rate of 3009.2 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

What is the median home value in South Bend, IN? +

The median home value in South Bend is $124,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

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.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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