City comparison
Augusta, 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 1.0% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $101,000 in South Bend, IN to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,114 a month in Augusta, GA and $1,105 in South Bend, IN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,647 a year higher in Augusta, GA 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 Augusta, GA to South Bend, IN changes real buying power by −1.0%, purely from prices.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (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
| Augusta, GA | South Bend, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 92.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,039 in South Bend | $98,972 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/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 | 18% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $46,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | South Bend |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 74.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 87.7 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 99.2 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 92.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → South Bend, IN
Roughly even
Buying power −1.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,647/yr.
66 Fair offer
South Bend, IN → Augusta, GA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,647/yr.
72 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 Augusta, GA to South Bend, IN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | South Bend, IN | Real change, Augusta → South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | South Bend, IN | South Bend pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $58,180 | $57,582 (−8.6%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $95,500 | $94,518 (−21.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $77,940 | $77,138 (+0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $93,540 | $92,578 (+5.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.