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CityLedger

Peoria vs South Bend

Metro-area medians — Peoria, IL Metro Area vs South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Peoria comes out ahead, winning 7 of the 7 clearly-decided measures.

Peoria and South Bend cost about the same to live in, but Peoria households earn about 16% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Peoria.

Their widest everyday difference: Peoria has the tighter job market — 3.7% unemployment versus 6.1%.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Peoria, IL
$57,601
take-home / yr · 23% to tax
$63,138
real value after local prices
South Bend, IN
$59,064
take-home / yr · 21% to tax
$63,606
real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, South Bend leaves you about $469/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure
Peoria
South Bend
Livability (CityLedger)
57/100
33/100
Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
91.2
92.9
Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
$81,499
$68,808
Median household income
$74,352
$63,894
Median rent
$1,003/mo
$1,101/mo
Median home value
$173,700
$216,500
Unemployment
3.7%
6.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher
33.9%
31.1%
Average commute
21.4 min
21.8 min
Air quality (median AQI)
44
45
Avg temperature
53°F
49°F

Choose Peoria for

  • + Livability (CityLedger)
  • + Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
  • + Median household income
  • + Median rent
  • + Median home value
  • + Unemployment
  • + Bachelor's degree or higher
Full Peoria profile →

Choose South Bend for

  • No clear edge
Full South Bend profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Peoria and South Bend on cost, income, size, and education.

Peoria vs Davenport→Peoria vs Green Bay→Peoria vs Evansville→South Bend vs Amarillo→South Bend vs Waco→South Bend vs Fort Wayne→

Peoria vs South Bend — frequently asked

Is Peoria cheaper than South Bend?
They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Peoria and South Bend metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Peoria or South Bend?
Peoria has the higher median household income — $74,352 versus $63,894 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 16% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Peoria or South Bend?
A paycheck stretches further in Peoria. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $81,499 there versus $68,808 in South Bend.
Which has cheaper rent, Peoria or South Bend?
Peoria has cheaper rent — a median of $1,003/mo versus $1,101/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).