City comparison
Gulfport, MS 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 3.2% higher than in Gulfport, MS. Someone earning $100,000 in Gulfport, MS would need about $103,200 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 $923 in Gulfport, MS. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in South Bend, IN and 15% in Gulfport, MS.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $348 a year higher in Gulfport, MS than in South Bend, IN.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Gulfport, MS to South Bend, IN changes real buying power by −3.1%, purely from prices.
- Gulfport, MS: price level 90.0 (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
| Gulfport, MS | South Bend, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.0 | 92.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,169 in South Bend | $96,929 in Gulfport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $923/mo | $1,105/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,912 | $76,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,268 (MS) | $2,921 (IN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,470 | $46,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Gulfport-Biloxi, MS HUD Metro FMR Area and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Gulfport-Biloxi, MS and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Gulfport | South Bend |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 67.9 | 74.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 76.3 | 87.7 |
| Other services | 96.1 | 99.2 |
| Overall | 90.0 | 92.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Gulfport, MS → South Bend, IN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$348/yr.
59 Fair offer
South Bend, IN → Gulfport, MS
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$348/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Gulfport, MS to South Bend, IN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Gulfport, MS | South Bend, IN | Real change, Gulfport → South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Gulfport, MS | South Bend, IN | South Bend pay in Gulfport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,820 | $58,180 | $56,393 (+11.0%) |
| Software Developers | $104,240 | $95,500 | $92,567 (−11.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,380 | $77,940 | $75,546 (−1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,960 | $93,540 | $90,667 (+14.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.