South Bend-Mishawaka → Lexington-Fayette
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from South Bend-Mishawaka to Lexington-Fayette is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 92.9 to 92.9 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $20/mo.
- +$6,471
- BLS median salary higher in Lexington-Fayette
- 308 to 225
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 15.9:1 to 15.2:1
- 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
- + $6K higher median salary
- + Lower violent crime rate
Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 92.9 to 92.9 (ratio 1.00), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent barely moves ($1,292 → $1,272); the housing line is not the swing factor on this corridor.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 2 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Lexington-Fayette sits #150 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). South Bend-Mishawaka is #215/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $6,471 higher ($62,165 → $68,636). Labor-market size: 125,610 tracked jobs at origin vs 274,970 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: Indiana 62 (C, #24/51) vs Kentucky 68 (C, #11/51). 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
- 72
- Property tax
- 69
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 32
- Income tax
- 72
- Property tax
- 73
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 38
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 South Bend-Mishawaka to see what you'd need to earn in Lexington-Fayette to maintain the same purchasing power.
Lexington-Fayette 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