Granger vs South Bend

Which is the better fit for you?

Granger, IN
78
Area Score
Top 2% nationally
South Bend, IN
62
Area Score
Top 37% nationally

Want a third or fourth place beside these? Open them in the shortlist and add more.

Granger receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Granger to South Bend

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 91.4 against 91.4 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
The same
HUD benchmarks it at $1,292 in South Bend against $1,292 in Granger.
The median home
58% less
$140,400 in South Bend against $331,100 in Granger.
The weather you would swap
Similar winters
Normal January lows are 17°F in South Bend against 17°F in Granger; July highs are 83°F against 83°F (summers the same).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Granger
South Bend
Opportunity: Granger is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
74 · Top 16%
vs
57 · Top 48%
Growth: Granger is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
64 · Top 23%
vs
60 · Top 30%
Climate
61 · Bottom 17%
vs
61 · Bottom 17%
Physical resilience
95 · Top 4%
vs
95 · Top 3%
Housing affordability: Granger is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
76 · Top 21%
vs
72 · Top 34%
Schools: Granger is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
84 · Top 8%
vs
19 · Bottom 11%
Access
99 · Top 9%
vs
99 · Top 9%
Economic stability: Granger is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
77 · Top 9%
vs
33 · Bottom 12%

Measured values

MetricGrangerSouth BendSource period
Population30,321103,0852024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$123,318 — more favorable$55,7862024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$57,489 — more favorable$30,7912024 ACS 5-Year
Population density1,234/sq mi2,461/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$331,100$140,4002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,656$1,033 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,292$1,292FY2026
Cost of living index91.491.42023
Homeownership rate95.3%60.2%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate4.1% — more favorable4.3%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)+1.1%+1.1%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher56.3% — more favorable29.3%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate4.5% — more favorable20.2%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)92692612 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents3.43.412 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)+26.7%+26.7%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high83°F83°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low17°F17°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation39.2"39.2"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport10 mi3 mi — more favorableNASR current cycle
Average commute23.5 min21.7 min — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age40.434.82024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools7372024-25 school year
Students per teacher18.912.8 — more favorable2024-25 school year
Math proficiency80.1% — more favorable21.3%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency78.1% — more favorable30.6%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility26.3%58.8%2024-25 school year

A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Granger
—
Granger: Your Score
78
Area Score
South Bend
—
South Bend: Your Score
62
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Granger, IN · South Bend, IN · How this is calculated: methodology