Living in South Bend, IN
Located in the state of Indiana, South Bend is a mid-sized city with a population of 101,037 inhabitants. The median age of all South Bend residents is 33, which is well below the national average. This is a good indication that this city could be ideal for young singles. Not a fan of sitting in traffic? One big advantage of living in South Bend is the reasonable commute times to work. With an average one way commute time of 20 minutes, getting to work is faster than the national average of 26 minutes.
Are you trying to figure out if living in South Bend is the right fit for your lifestyle? To ensure a good experience before relocating to any new city in Indiana, you will probably want to make sure that you check all of the most important boxes. The best areas in South Bend and in surrounding cities are easier to find when you are able to make informed decisions. Using data from crime, cost of living, weather, housing, you will see a detailed breakdown of the most important information as well as comparisons to the Indiana and national averages.
South Bend, IN receives 62 out of 100 for it’s livability score; this results in a ranking of #524 in Indiana and #21,124 in the USA. There are seven total categories that create the livability score. South Bend ranks well for amenities (A+) and cost of living (A-). There is at least one category that you should be aware of in South Bend. The following was graded with a concerning score: crime (F), weather (D), education (D-), employment (F) and housing (D).
There are many factors that go into deciding if an area is the right fit for your lifestyle. Certain “must haves” like low crime, great schools and nearby amenities are all at the top of most people's lists. But before even considering if those options are available, most people will need to know if the real estate in South Bend is actually affordable. The median home price for South Bend homes is $80,500, which is 36.4% lower than the Indiana average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in South Bend, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 2.3, which is 8% lower than the Indiana average. Purchasing your new home can come with many financial benefits, some of which are more lucrative than others. Perhaps the most notable benefit could be the appreciation of your new home. Home appreciation rates are a good way to generate tax-free equity on a long term basis. The year over year appreciation rates in South Bend were 8.7%, and the 5 year appreciation rates came in at 4.4%.
