City safety & data profile

South BendIN

South Bend, IN is a 102K-resident city in St. Joseph County with a median household income of $55,786.

St. Joseph County, Indiana. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for South Bend, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. South Bend has a population larger than 93% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $140,400, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

102K
Population
Top 7%
By size
$55,786
Median income
$140,400
Median home
20.8%
Poverty rate

The read on South Bend

South Bend posts a median household income higher than 16% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the South Bend area.

Top 84%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near South Bend

Where South Bend income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$55,786 Bottom 16% higher than 16% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. IN $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading South Bend, IN beyond the headline numbers

South Bend sits inside St. Joseph County, Indiana, at roughly 41.68°N, -86.25°W. Population 101,516, $55,786 median household income. Median home value $140,400, median rent $1,033. Poverty rate 20.8%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: South Bend's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 41%, then obesity at 39.7%. 1 hospital in/around South Bend, 2/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for South Bend from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
101,516
South Bend
Median Income
$55,786
-18% vs avg
Median Home Value
$140,400
-38% vs avg
Median Age
34.8
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (St. Joseph County) - South Bend's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
273K+2%
Median Income
$66,868+50%
Median Home Value
$192,800+68%
Poverty Rate
14.2%-20%
Unemployment
5.2%-53%

Economics

Economics indicators for South Bend, IN
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,033/mo
Poverty Rate
20.8% +46% vs avg
Unemployment 6.5%
Bachelor's Degree+ 29.3%
Work From Home 11.2%
Public Transit 1.6%

Population

White 53.5%
African American 22.7%
Asian 2.3%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.6%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
41%
Obesity
39.7%
High Blood Pressure
39.6%
Physical Inactivity
31.6%
Frequent Mental Distress
20.3%
Current Smoking
18.2%
Binge Drinking
15.3%
Diabetes
15.2%
Frequent Physical Distress
15.2%
Lack of Health Insurance
12.6%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 52.9%
Annual Checkup 79.8%

Other Measures

Current Asthma
11.9%
Coronary Heart Disease
6.8%
Stroke
4%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
0
★★
1
★
0
Average Rating
2/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
MEMORIAL HOSPITAL OF SOUTH BEND
SOUTH BEND · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★☆☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of South Bend, IN? ▼
South Bend, IN has a population of 101,516 people, located in St. Joseph County, Indiana.
What is the median household income in South Bend? ▼
The median household income in South Bend, IN is $55,786 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 20.8%.
What is the median home value in South Bend? ▼
The median home value in South Bend, IN is $140,400. Median rent is $1,033/month.
What are the top health concerns in South Bend? ▼
The top health indicators in South Bend include Short Sleep Duration (41%), Obesity (39.7%), High Blood Pressure (39.6%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in South Bend? ▼
South Bend has 1 hospital with an average rating of 2/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in South Bend? ▼
The median age in South Bend, IN is 34.8 years. 29.3% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

South Bend, IN is located in St. Joseph County, Indiana. With a population of 102K and a $55,786 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and obesity. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 2/5 stars. Safety alerts for the South Bend area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Indiana

Real-time AQI for every monitored Indiana location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Mishawaka, IN 48K Niles, MI 11K Granger, IN 30K Elkhart, IN 52K Plymouth, IN 10K Goshen, IN 33K La Porte, IN 22K Warsaw, IN 14K
All cities in Indiana → Compare South Bend vs Mishawaka → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using South Bend's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the South Bend area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare South Bend against Indiana peers on any ranking lens. Explore Indiana

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (St. Joseph County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.