Lewiston-Auburn South Bend-Mishawaka

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Lewiston-Auburn to South Bend-Mishawaka is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 94.7 to 92.9 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $294/mo.

-$452
BLS median salary lower in South Bend-Mishawaka
102 to 308
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
11.1:1 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.

Verdict
Less Favorable
Cost Index: 94.7 → 92.9
Rent Delta: -$294/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $294/mo cheaper rent (2BR)

Cons of Moving

  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 94.7 to 92.9 (ratio 0.98), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $294/mo ($3,528/yr) from $1,586 in Lewiston-Auburn 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). Lewiston-Auburn is #20/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $452 lower ($62,617 → $62,165). Labor-market size: 41,990 tracked jobs at origin vs 125,610 at destination.

State retirement friendliness is near-even: Maine 61 (C, #27/51) vs Indiana 62 (C, #24/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Lewiston-Auburn
South Bend-Mishawaka
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 94.7
RPP 92.9
South Bend-Mishawaka
Rent (2BR)
$1,586/mo
$1,292/mo
South Bend-Mishawaka
Wages
$62,617
$62,165
Lewiston-Auburn
Crime
102 per 100K
308 per 100K
Lewiston-Auburn
Schools
11.1:1
15.9:1
Lewiston-Auburn
Childcare
$11,325/yr
N/A
Tie
Environment
832 violations
1514 violations
Lewiston-Auburn

State retirement friendliness

Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.

Origin state · Maine
61 C #27/51
Income tax
68
Property tax
60
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
100
Destination state · Indiana
62 C #24/51
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 Lewiston-Auburn to see what you'd need to earn in South Bend-Mishawaka to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in South Bend-Mishawaka
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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