01 · the cities
Boston
Boston is brick sidewalks, dive bars older than most states, and an accent that turns 'park the car' into a love language. The city is densely packed with colleges (Harvard, MIT, BU, BC, plus 30 more), which keeps it perpetually 22 years old in spirit. The Freedom Trail literally paints a red line through 400 years of American history. Dunkin' is not a chain here, it's a way of life.
full dispatch→South Bend
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.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,391/mo
$1,754/mo less than Boston (126%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$230k
$541k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
3.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,692/mo
South Bend has $1,920/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
160 days
157 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
40 days
days below 20°F per year
South Bend drops below 20°F on 7 more days per year than Boston.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
53 / 100
18.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
9 routes
94 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
324k metro
Boston has 9.9x more events per month than South Bend.
the verdict
3
Boston
categories won
4
South Bend
categories won
South Bend wins on money. Boston has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
run your numbers
How far does your Boston salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works