Slower Sundays
Find my cities

Moving to South Bend, Indiana

South Bend pays new residents up to $2,500 through Move to South Bend. Here is what life costs in St. Joseph County, home of South Bend, where people work, what there is to do, and remote jobs you can bring with you.
  • $2,500Paid to move hereMove to South Bend
  • $192,800Typical home value1St. Joseph County
  • $1,062Typical rent1Utilities included
  • 272,861Population+0.0% since 2020

By Sol Lakein.Checked November 4, 2026.How we compare costs

Get paid to move to South Bend

Tap a program for who qualifies, how it pays, whether it is open and the official link.

Every program in Indiana

Made the move: Elio in South Bend

A real move, as reported in the news. Slower Sundays is not affiliated with this person or the program.

From the news

Elio moved to South Bend from Seattle in 2024

“I felt like I was living to work and not working to live.”

Elio left Seattle for South Bend in search of a slower pace, more community and a lifestyle he could afford. He moved in March and received the region's $5,000 cash incentive, trading a work-first routine for a better balance.

Source: South Bend Tribune, May 2024

Did you know?

In February 1852 the Studebaker brothers opened a wagon shop in South Bend that grew into the world's largest maker of wagons and buggies, and the company built cars in the city until December 1963.

Source: ABC57 (South Bend), May 2015

A fact about South Bend

What it costs to live in South Bend

St. Joseph County next to Indiana and the US.1
MeasureSt. Joseph CountyIndianaUnited States
Typical home value$192,800$218,200$332,700
Monthly owner costs with a mortgage$1,291$1,404$1,963
Typical rent, with utilities$1,062$1,062$1,413
Typical household income$66,868$71,957$80,734
Homes lived in by their owners69.0%70.6%65.2%
Households with broadband90.3%89.9%91.0%
Average commute, one way21 min24 min26 min

On the typical home here, the mortgage comes to about $1,060 a month2.

Jobs and work in St. Joseph County

  • 120,211Jobs at local employers2023, -0.1% vs 2022
  • 5,959Employer businesses2023
  • 18,012Self-employed businessesNonemployer firms, 2024
  • 90.3%Households with broadbandUS: 91.0%

63.2% of residents 16 and older are in the labor force, the average commute is 21.1 minutes, and 33.5% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree1,3. Builders pulled permits for 611 new homes in 2025.

Remote jobs you can do from South Bend

1 of South Bend's 2 programs requires a full-time remote job. These are current remote openings for people living in the US.

Loading current remote jobs.

Things to do in South Bend

Notable places in St. Joseph County, by type.4

Parks, lakes and the outdoors

  • South Clear Lake
  • Leeper Park
  • South Chain Lake
  • Wharton Lake
  • Hills Hans Park

Museums, theaters and libraries

  • Morris Performing Arts Center
  • New Carlisle Historic District
  • Raclin Murphy Museum of Art
  • West Washington Historic District
  • South Bend Museum of Art

Colleges and universities

  • University of Notre Dame
  • Indiana University South Bend

Sports and recreation

  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Stanley Coveleski Regional Stadium
  • Compton Family Ice Arena

Thinking about South Bend? Get the free moving guide

12 pages: what a move costs, hiring movers safely, an 8-week checklist and how to apply for programs like these.

Get the guide

Moving to South Bend: questions people ask

Does South Bend pay you to move there?

Yes. Move to South Bend: $2,500 cash; Discover Rewarding Healthcare Careers in the South Bend-Elkhart Region: $2,500 cash. Each program has its own rules, status and official link on its page, checked October 30, 2026.

How much does it cost to live in South Bend?

In St. Joseph County, the median owner-occupied home is valued at $192,800 and median gross rent is $1,062 a month (US Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). Indiana: $218,200 and $1,062. United States: $332,700 and $1,413. With 20% down at 7.32%, principal and interest on a home at the county median value come to about $1,060 a month (our arithmetic).

Is South Bend a good place to live?

It depends on what you need. On the numbers: home values in St. Joseph County are below the US median, household income is below the US median, and the population grew 0.0% from April 2020 to July 2025 (US Census Bureau). Visit before you decide.

Can I work remotely from South Bend?

90.3% of households in St. Joseph County have a broadband subscription (US: 91.0%; ACS 2020-2024). 1 of the 2 local programs requires a full-time remote job, and 1 has a track for local jobs.

What is there to do in South Bend?

Notable places in St. Joseph County include South Clear Lake, Leeper Park, Morris Performing Arts Center, New Carlisle Historic District, University of Notre Dame. The full list by type is on this page (Wikidata).

Other Indiana towns that pay you to move

Notes on the numbers
  1. 1Costs and people: US Census Bureau QuickFacts, American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimates (dollars in 2024 terms), read November 4, 2026. "Typical" is the median. Census figures cover all homes and renters, not just recent sales or new leases. QuickFacts
  2. 2Mortgage: principal and interest on the county's typical home value with 20% down at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026), our arithmetic. Rate source
  3. 3Jobs and businesses: US Census Bureau QuickFacts, County Business Patterns 2023, Nonemployer Statistics 2024, Building Permits Survey 2025, ACS 2020-2024.
  4. 4Things to do: notable places from Wikidata (CC0), read November 4, 2026. Know a place we should add? Email hello@slowersundays.com.
Sources for this page