City comparison
Columbus, GA vs South Bend, IN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in South Bend, IN are 4.0% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $104,000 in South Bend, IN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,105 a month in South Bend, IN versus $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in South Bend, IN and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,647 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in South Bend, IN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Columbus, GA to South Bend, IN ($112,556 → $106,437), while prices change by +4.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.1% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Columbus, GA | South Bend, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 92.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,989 in South Bend | $96,164 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,105/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $76,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $2,921 (IN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $46,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | South Bend |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 74.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 87.7 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 99.2 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 92.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → South Bend, IN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,647/yr.
57 Fair offer
South Bend, IN → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,647/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; South Bend, IN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to South Bend, IN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | South Bend, IN | Real change, Columbus → South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $61,722 | −9.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $74,678 | −9.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,508 | −9.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,437 | −9.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $125,776 | −9.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | South Bend, IN | South Bend pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $58,180 | $55,948 (−8.8%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $95,500 | $91,837 (−20.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $77,940 | $74,950 (+1.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $93,540 | $89,952 (+9.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.