$100k salary, packing up from Charleston
changea dispatch from
south bend
IN
41.68°N
86.25°W
South Bend is Notre Dame, the Golden Dome, and the Touchdown Jesus mural visible from the football stadium. The St. Joseph River runs through downtown, and the East Bank district has the food and bar scene. The University of Notre Dame campus is genuinely beautiful (the basilica, the lakes, the grottos). Smaller than its national reputation suggests, with a steady college-town pulse.
the verdict
below Charleston's monthly cost
Move to South Bend and the monthly math gets easier. Charleston's rent is the headline; South Bend's is a footnote.
a quick ledger.
$1,391/mo
30% cheaper than Charleston(vs $1,987/mo)
3%
$292/mo less in state tax than Charleston
vs 6.5% in Charleston
$6,692/mo
$887 more than Charleston
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$230k
47% cheaper than Charleston
vs $432k in Charleston
324k
vs 849k in Charleston
field notes, weather & such.
157
pleasant days a year, in south bend.
Charleston edges ahead with 212 pleasant days. Winter asks for something in return: 40 days under 20° here, 0 in Charleston.
Lighter on events: Charleston packs 2.4× more into a month.
53/100
21% lower than Charleston
vs 67/100 in Charleston
Closest outdoor draw: Indiana Dunes National Park, 62.8 mi.
82/100
11% lower than Charleston
vs 92/100 in Charleston
9
55% fewer than Charleston
vs 20 nonstops in Charleston
neighbors of south bend on the map of tradeoffs:
