City comparison
Canton, OH 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 3.9% higher than in Canton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Canton, OH would need about $103,900 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 $846 in Canton, OH. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in South Bend, IN and 13% in Canton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $953 a year higher in South Bend, IN than in Canton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Canton, OH to South Bend, IN ($111,138 → $106,437), while prices change by +3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.8% in real buying power.
- Canton, OH: price level 89.4 (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
| Canton, OH | South Bend, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 92.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,861 in South Bend | $96,282 in Canton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $846/mo | $1,105/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $76,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $2,921 (IN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,810 | $46,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Canton-Massillon, OH MSA and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Canton-Massillon, OH and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Canton | South Bend |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.1 | 74.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 96.9 | 87.7 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.2 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 92.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Canton, OH → South Bend, IN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$953/yr.
57 Fair offer
South Bend, IN → Canton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.9%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$953/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Canton, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; South Bend, IN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Canton, OH to South Bend, IN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Canton, OH | South Bend, IN | Real change, Canton → South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $61,722 | −7.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $74,678 | −7.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,508 | −7.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,437 | −7.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $125,776 | −7.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Canton, OH | South Bend, IN | South Bend pay in Canton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,940 | $58,180 | $56,017 (−28.1%) |
| Software Developers | $105,500 | $95,500 | $91,950 (−12.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,170 | $77,940 | $75,043 (+4.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,610 | $93,540 | $90,063 (+13.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.