01 · the cities
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
$1,321/mo
$1,391/mo
$70/mo more than Dayton (5%)
Median home price
Median home price
$139k
$230k
$91k more than Dayton
State income tax
State income tax
4.0%
3.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,680/mo
$6,692/mo
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
171 days
157 days
14 fewer than Dayton
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
34 days
40 days
days below 20°F per year
South Bend drops below 20°F on 6 more days per year than Dayton.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
62 / 100
53 / 100
9.0 pts behind Dayton
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
16 routes
9 routes
7 fewer direct routes than Dayton
Metro size
Metro size
808k metro
324k metro
Dayton has 1.2x fewer events per month than South Bend.
the verdict
6
Dayton
categories won
2
South Bend
categories won
Dayton leads on weather and lifestyle and wins overall.
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