City comparison
South Bend, IN vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 16.8% higher than in South Bend, IN. Someone earning $100,000 in South Bend, IN would need about $116,800 in Vallejo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,705 a month in Vallejo, CA versus $1,105 in South Bend, IN. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 17% in South Bend, IN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,150 a year higher in Vallejo, CA than in South Bend, IN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from South Bend, IN to Vallejo, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +16.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.0% in real buying power.
- South Bend, IN: price level 92.9 (cheaper)
- Vallejo, CA: price level 108.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| South Bend, IN | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.9 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,822 in Vallejo | $85,600 in South Bend |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,105/mo | $1,705/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,260 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,921 (IN) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,540 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: South Bend-Mishawaka, IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | South Bend | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.6 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 94.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 87.7 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 99.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 92.9 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
South Bend, IN → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.4%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$2,150/yr.
34 Weak offer
Vallejo, CA → South Bend, IN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,150/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
South Bend, IN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from South Bend, IN to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | South Bend, IN | Vallejo, CA | Real change, South Bend → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +7.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +7.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +7.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +7.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +7.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | South Bend, IN | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in South Bend dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,180 | $100,790 | $86,276 (+48.3%) |
| Software Developers | $95,500 | $136,930 | $117,212 (+22.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,940 | $95,800 | $82,005 (+5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $93,540 | $203,290 | $174,016 (+86.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.