City comparison
Little Rock, AR 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 Little Rock, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Little Rock, AR 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 $989 in Little Rock, AR. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in South Bend, IN and 16% in Little Rock, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $767 a year higher in Little Rock, AR 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 Little Rock, AR to South Bend, IN changes real buying power by −3.8%, purely from prices.
- Little Rock, AR: 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
| Little Rock, AR | South Bend, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 92.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,910 in South Bend | $96,237 in Little Rock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $989/mo | $1,105/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $76,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $2,921 (IN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,790 | $46,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Little Rock | South Bend |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 74.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 74.6 | 87.7 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 99.2 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 92.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Little Rock, AR → South Bend, IN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$767/yr.
57 Fair offer
South Bend, IN → Little Rock, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$767/yr.
81 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 Little Rock, AR to South Bend, IN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Little Rock, AR | South Bend, IN | Real change, Little Rock → South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −3.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −3.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −3.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −3.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −3.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Little Rock, AR | South Bend, IN | South Bend pay in Little Rock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,580 | $58,180 | $55,991 (−4.4%) |
| Software Developers | $104,070 | $95,500 | $91,907 (−11.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,810 | $77,940 | $75,007 (+14.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,070 | $93,540 | $90,020 (+11.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.