City comparison
Raleigh, NC vs South Bend, IN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Raleigh, NC are 5.7% higher than in South Bend, IN. Someone earning $100,000 in South Bend, IN would need about $105,700 in Raleigh, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,596 a month in Raleigh, NC versus $1,105 in South Bend, IN. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Raleigh, NC and 17% in South Bend, IN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $561 a year higher in Raleigh, NC than in South Bend, IN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Raleigh, NC to South Bend, IN ($111,147 → $106,437), while prices change by −5.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.2% in real buying power.
- Raleigh, NC: price level 98.2 (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
| Raleigh, NC | South Bend, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.2 | 92.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,602 in South Bend | $105,707 in Raleigh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,596/mo | $1,105/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $76,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $2,921 (IN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,990 | $46,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Raleigh-Cary, NC and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Raleigh | South Bend |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 103.5 | 74.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 87.7 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 99.2 |
| Overall | 98.2 | 92.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Raleigh, NC → South Bend, IN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$561/yr.
87 Strong offer
South Bend, IN → Raleigh, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$561/yr.
51 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Raleigh, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; South Bend, IN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Raleigh, NC to South Bend, IN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Raleigh, NC | South Bend, IN | Real change, Raleigh → South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $61,722 | +1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $74,678 | +1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $89,508 | +1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $106,437 | +1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $125,776 | +1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Raleigh, NC | South Bend, IN | South Bend pay in Raleigh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,170 | $58,180 | $61,500 (+2.2%) |
| Software Developers | $132,770 | $95,500 | $100,950 (−24.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,950 | $77,940 | $82,388 (+0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,830 | $93,540 | $98,878 (+16.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.