Metro Life Score
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI
Below-median composite Life Score — grade C+, 40th percentile of the national corpus.
- 47.3
- Life Score / 100
- C+
- Grade (curved)
- #234
- of 387 metros
- 40%
- composite percentile
Data updated August 2026
Verify: BEA · BLS · HUD · FBI · NCES · EPA · Census · Report a data issue · Data changelog
The verdict
South Bend-Mishawaka is below-median composite Life Score — #234 of 387 (47.3/100, grade C+, 40th percentile). Carried by schools at 62/100; held back most by environment at 17/100.
- 40th
- composite percentile
- #234
- of 387 peers
- 55th
- cost dimension percentile
- 38th
- wages dimension percentile
Life Score shape · MID · SCHOOL-STRONG · signature wages
South Bend-Mishawaka: mid-wage metro with a distinct composite shape
South Bend-Mishawaka is mid-curve on wages (≈38th percentile, LOW) with composite #234 (47.3/100, grade C+). Cost mark MID; profile SCHOOL-STRONG. Gap between strongest and weakest dimensions: 44 points. According to PlainCompare's federal Life Score corpus ranking, South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI ranks #234 of 387 metros by composite Life Score (highest = #1) and #173 of 387 by cost-of-living dimension score (highest = #1). Methodology.
BEA RPP 92.9 (rent-RPP 74.6). BLS median salary $62,165, 125,610 jobs (Fast Food and Counter Workers, Retail Salespersons, Registered Nurses). HUD 2BR FMR $1,292/mo (studio $898).
FBI UCR (IN): 308 violent, 1321 property/100K. NCES: 15.2:1 ratio, 6.5% charter. EPA: 53 Superfund sites (IN).
Where South Bend-Mishawaka sits among all US metros
Composite Life Score vs the national field
47 40th percentile higher than 40% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainCompare composite of BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, EPA data · August 2026
How the 47.3 is built
South Bend-Mishawaka's Life Score, decomposed
Dimension detail
How South Bend-Mishawaka scores, dimension by dimension
Score Breakdown
Dimension Scores
Key Data Points
Geography used: crime, schools, childcare, and environment cards above are IN state-level when metro-specific feeds are unavailable, see the scope key at the top of this page.
Compare South Bend-Mishawaka With...
Ranking Context
South Bend-Mishawaka outranks 40% of U.S. metros.
| Rank | Metro | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| #231 | Odessa, TX | 47.4 | C+ |
| #232 | Columbus, IN | 47.4 | C+ |
| #233 | Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | 47.5 | C+ |
| #234 | South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | 47.3 | C+ |
| #235 | Salem, OR | 47.3 | C+ |
| #236 | Tucson, AZ | 47.3 | C+ |
| #237 | Carson City, NV | 47.2 | C+ |
Quality vs. Affordability
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI's quality rank (bottom 40% lowest-quality) and affordability rank (top 45% most affordable) sit close together -- an unusually proportionate metro where overall quality and cost-of-living move together.
IN Metro Scores
Read with South Bend-Mishawaka
Nearest composite peers and cost poles for South Bend-Mishawaka (MID · SCHOOL-STRONG · MID/LOW), replacing the fixed Explore/Guides strip.
Salem, OR
ABS(composite) peer at 47.3 (Δ 0.0 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade C+ vs this page's MID · SCHOOL-STRONG · MID/LOW.
Tucson, AZ
ABS(composite) peer at 47.3 (Δ 0.0 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade C+ vs this page's MID · SCHOOL-STRONG · MID/LOW.
Carson City, NV
ABS(composite) peer at 47.2 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); lower Life Score · grade C+ vs this page's MID · SCHOOL-STRONG · MID/LOW.
Columbus, IN
ABS(composite) peer at 47.4 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade C+ vs this page's MID · SCHOOL-STRONG · MID/LOW.
Eau Claire, WI (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 56/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp MID vs this metro's MID.
Binghamton, NY (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 55/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp MID vs this metro's MID.
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI relocation guide
Stamp-branched guide for MID · SCHOOL-STRONG · MID/LOW - how to read federal Life Score inputs before a move.
Using South Bend-Mishawaka's middle-third Life Score
South Bend-Mishawaka scores 47.3/100 overall, but Schools (61.7) and Environment (17.4) sit 44.3 points apart, so decide which of the two matters more to you before leaning on the total.
- Schools is the strongest of South Bend-Mishawaka's seven dimensions (weighted 10% in the composite); if it is your priority, this is where the metro earns its rank. See all seven dimensions
- Environment is the weakest (weighted 10% in the composite); if it is a dealbreaker, weigh it before the ranking does. Rank metros on the composite
- Muncie is the nearest comparison this page can offer; put the two side by side on the same seven dimensions. Compare with Muncie
A middle-third composite is a weighted blend; individual dimensions can sit well above or below it.