City comparison
Bremerton, WA vs South Bend, IN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bremerton, WA are 13.7% higher than in South Bend, IN. Someone earning $100,000 in South Bend, IN would need about $113,700 in Bremerton, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,548 a month in Bremerton, WA versus $1,105 in South Bend, IN. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Bremerton, WA 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 Bremerton, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.0% moving from Bremerton, WA to South Bend, IN ($119,630 → $106,437), while prices change by −12.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.2% in real buying power.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (pricier)
- 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
| Bremerton, WA | South Bend, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 92.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,928 in South Bend | $113,730 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/mo | $1,105/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $2,921 (IN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $46,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | South Bend |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 74.6 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 87.7 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 99.2 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 92.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → South Bend, IN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,921/yr.
100 Strong offer
South Bend, IN → Bremerton, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$2,921/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bremerton, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; South Bend, IN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Bremerton, WA to South Bend, IN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | South Bend, IN | Real change, Bremerton → South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $61,722 | +1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $74,678 | +1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $89,508 | +1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $106,437 | +1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $125,776 | +1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | South Bend, IN | South Bend pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,650 | $58,180 | $66,168 (−35.5%) |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $95,500 | $108,612 (−25.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $77,940 | $88,641 (+0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $93,540 | $106,383 (−0.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.