City comparison
New Haven, CT vs South Bend, IN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 12.6% higher than in South Bend, IN. Someone earning $100,000 in South Bend, IN would need about $112,600 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,591 a month in New Haven, CT versus $1,105 in South Bend, IN. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 17% in South Bend, IN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,005 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in South Bend, IN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −15.1% moving from New Haven, CT to South Bend, IN ($125,431 → $106,437), while prices change by −11.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.5% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- 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
| New Haven, CT | South Bend, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 92.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,809 in South Bend | $112,601 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $1,105/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $76,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $2,921 (IN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $46,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | South Bend |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 74.6 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 87.7 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 99.2 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 92.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → South Bend, IN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,005/yr.
100 Strong offer
South Bend, IN → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,005/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; South Bend, IN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to South Bend, IN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | South Bend, IN | Real change, New Haven → South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $61,722 | −4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $74,678 | −4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,508 | −4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,437 | −4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $125,776 | −4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | South Bend, IN | South Bend pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $58,180 | $65,511 (−17.9%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $95,500 | $107,534 (−19.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $77,940 | $87,761 (−7.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $93,540 | $105,327 (+0.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.