Lawrence → South Bend-Mishawaka
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Lawrence to South Bend-Mishawaka is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 90.2 to 92.9 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $110/mo.
- -$3,976
- BLS median salary lower in South Bend-Mishawaka
- 456 to 308
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 13.8:1 to 15.9:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.
Pros of Moving
- + Lower violent crime rate
- + Fewer environmental violations
Cons of Moving
- - $110/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - $4K lower median salary
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 90.2 to 92.9 (ratio 1.03), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $110/mo ($1,320/yr) from $1,182 in Lawrence to $1,292 in South Bend-Mishawaka.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (2 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. South Bend-Mishawaka sits #215 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Lawrence is #212/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $3,976 lower ($66,141 → $62,165). Labor-market size: 44,630 tracked jobs at origin vs 125,610 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: Kansas 63 (C, #21/51) vs Indiana 62 (C, #24/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.
State retirement friendliness
Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.
- Income tax
- 68
- Property tax
- 61
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 54
- Income tax
- 72
- Property tax
- 69
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 32
Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).
Salary Adjustment Calculator
Enter your current salary in Lawrence to see what you'd need to earn in South Bend-Mishawaka to maintain the same purchasing power.
South Bend-Mishawaka metro profile · Livability rankings · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026