$100k salary, packing up from South Bend
changea dispatch from
kingsport
TN
36.55°N
82.56°W
Kingsport is a planned 'model city' built by the Eastman Chemical Company in the early 1900s, with a downtown laid out in deliberate grids and the company still dominating the local economy. It's in the Tri-Cities area (with Bristol and Johnson City), tucked into the Appalachian foothills. Bays Mountain Park and the South Fork Holston River give it strong outdoor access. Quietly orderly.
in our guides
the verdict
less monthly outlay than South Bend
The gap is real. Kingsport costs noticeably less than South Bend, every month.
a quick ledger.
$1,383/mo
1% cheaper than South Bend(vs $1,391/mo)
0%
$250/mo less in state tax than South Bend
vs 3% in South Bend
$6,950/mo
$258 more than South Bend
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$244k
6% more expensive than South Bend
vs $230k in South Bend
312k
vs 324k in South Bend
field notes, weather & such.
188
pleasant days a year, in kingsport.
South Bend barely cracks 157 pleasant ones.
But the calendar thins out: South Bend stays 2.1× busier.
59/100
11% higher than South Bend
vs 53/100 in South Bend
Closest outdoor draw: Natural Tunnel State Park, 13.9 mi.
74/100
10% lower than South Bend
vs 82/100 in South Bend
4
56% fewer than South Bend
vs 9 nonstops in South Bend
compare kingsport with:
