City comparison
Killeen, TX 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 1.9% higher than in Killeen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Killeen, TX would need about $101,900 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 $990 in Killeen, TX. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in South Bend, IN and 15% in Killeen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,921 a year higher in South Bend, IN than in Killeen, TX.
- 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 Killeen, TX to South Bend, IN changes real buying power by −1.9%, purely from prices.
- Killeen, TX: price level 91.1 (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
| Killeen, TX | South Bend, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.1 | 92.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,894 in South Bend | $98,141 in Killeen |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $990/mo | $1,105/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $2,921 (IN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,660 | $46,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Killeen-Temple, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Killeen-Temple, TX and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Killeen | South Bend |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 74.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 87.7 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.2 |
| Overall | 91.1 | 92.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Killeen, TX → South Bend, IN
Roughly even
Buying power −1.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,921/yr.
63 Fair offer
South Bend, IN → Killeen, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$2,921/yr.
75 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 Killeen, TX to South Bend, IN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Killeen, TX | South Bend, IN | Real change, Killeen → South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Killeen, TX | South Bend, IN | South Bend pay in Killeen dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,120 | $58,180 | $57,099 (−9.5%) |
| Software Developers | $123,320 | $95,500 | $93,725 (−24.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,270 | $77,940 | $76,491 (+4.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $93,440 | $93,540 | $91,801 (−1.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.