City comparison
Austin, TX vs South Bend, IN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 5.6% higher than in South Bend, IN. Someone earning $100,000 in South Bend, IN would need about $105,600 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,105 in South Bend, IN. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 17% in South Bend, IN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,921 a year higher in South Bend, IN than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.7% moving from Austin, TX to South Bend, IN ($109,428 → $106,437), while prices change by −5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.7% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- South Bend, IN: price level 92.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | South Bend, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 92.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,689 in South Bend | $105,609 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,105/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $2,921 (IN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $46,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | South Bend |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 74.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 87.7 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.2 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 92.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → South Bend, IN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,921/yr.
86 Strong offer
South Bend, IN → Austin, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$2,921/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; South Bend, IN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to South Bend, IN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | South Bend, IN | Real change, Austin → South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $61,722 | +2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $74,678 | +2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $89,508 | +2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $106,437 | +2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $125,776 | +2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | South Bend, IN | South Bend pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $58,180 | $61,443 (+0.3%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $95,500 | $100,856 (−24.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $77,940 | $82,311 (−1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $93,540 | $98,786 (+0.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.