$100k salary, packing up from Phoenix
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 Phoenix's monthly cost
The gap is real. South Bend costs noticeably less than Phoenix, every month.
a quick ledger.
$1,391/mo
20% cheaper than Phoenix(vs $1,739/mo)
3%
$42/mo more in state tax than Phoenix
vs 2.5% in Phoenix
$6,692/mo
$306 more than Phoenix
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$230k
50% cheaper than Phoenix
vs $458k in Phoenix
324k
vs 5.1M in Phoenix
field notes, weather & such.
157
pleasant days a year, in south bend.
Phoenix has the edge here, logging 181 pleasant days a year. The trade is winter: 40 days below 20°, vs 0 in Phoenix.
91% fewer events than Phoenix. The pace eases up.
53/100
20% lower than Phoenix
vs 66/100 in Phoenix
Closest outdoor draw: Indiana Dunes National Park, 62.8 mi.
82/100
15% lower than Phoenix
vs 97/100 in Phoenix
9
90% fewer than Phoenix
vs 91 nonstops in Phoenix
in the same ballpark as south bend:
