South Bend, IN vs Wausau, WI: cost of living compared
Price levels from BEA (2024); rent and home values from Zillow (September 2026).
The short answer
- Overall, living costs in Wausau, WI and South Bend, IN are within 1% of each other (BEA, 2024).
- To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in South Bend works out to about $74,800 in Wausau, before taxes.
- Housing is 4.2% lower in Wausau, goods 0.5% lower and other services 0.2% higher, which roughly cancel out.
- Typical asking rent is $960 a month in Wausau and $1,258 in South Bend, $3,576 a year less in Wausau (Zillow, September 2026).
- A typical home is valued at about $271,000 in Wausau and $238,000 in South Bend.
- The gap is about where it was in 2019 (1.0%).
derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) and Zillow data. Based on an average household's spending; taxes not included. How we calculate.
Category by category
Both cities against the US average (100). The gap in each row is what matters for a move.
Overall prices are about the same in South Bend and Wausau
Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.
- South Bend, IN
- Wausau, WI
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| South Bend, IN | Wausau, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 92.9 | 92.7 |
| Goods | 94.2 | 93.8 |
| Housing (rents) | 74.6 | 71.5 |
| Utilities | 87.7 | 90.0 |
| Other services | 99.2 | 99.4 |
| Category | South Bend | Wausau | Wausau vs South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 92.9 | 92.7 | −0.2% |
| Goods | 94.2 | 93.8 | −0.5% |
| Housing (rents) | 74.6 | 71.5 | −4.2% |
| Utilities | 87.7 | 90.0 | +2.6% |
| Other services | 99.2 | 99.4 | +0.2% |
| Typical asking rent | $1,258 | $960 | −23.7% |
| Typical home value | $238,000 | $271,000 | +14.0% |
| Salary to match $75,000 in South Bend | $75,000 | $74,800 | −0.2% |
Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Rent and home values: Data Provided by Zillow Group, September 2026.
How the gap has changed since 2008
The price gap between South Bend and Wausau has narrowed since 2008: 2.3 points then, 0.2 now
Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.
- South Bend, IN
- Wausau, WI
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| South Bend, IN | Wausau, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 92.4 | 94.8 |
| 2009 | 93.3 | 95.0 |
| 2010 | 92.9 | 94.6 |
| 2011 | 92.2 | 93.3 |
| 2012 | 90.4 | 94.1 |
| 2013 | 92.3 | 94.3 |
| 2014 | 92.0 | 90.7 |
| 2015 | 90.5 | 92.5 |
| 2016 | 91.4 | 92.0 |
| 2017 | 88.6 | 91.1 |
| 2018 | 91.9 | 92.2 |
| 2019 | 92.1 | 93.0 |
| 2020 | 91.5 | 90.2 |
| 2021 | 91.7 | 91.2 |
| 2022 | 92.3 | 91.8 |
| 2023 | 91.4 | 90.7 |
| 2024 | 92.9 | 92.7 |
Goods
- South Bend, IN
- Wausau, WI
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| South Bend, IN | Wausau, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 94.6 | 99.0 |
| 2009 | 95.7 | 97.9 |
| 2010 | 96.1 | 96.7 |
| 2011 | 96.0 | 95.9 |
| 2012 | 97.2 | 97.1 |
| 2013 | 97.0 | 97.0 |
| 2014 | 98.1 | 98.7 |
| 2015 | 97.6 | 98.4 |
| 2016 | 96.8 | 97.6 |
| 2017 | 95.2 | 95.5 |
| 2018 | 97.4 | 97.8 |
| 2019 | 95.7 | 96.4 |
| 2020 | 94.0 | 94.2 |
| 2021 | 94.7 | 94.7 |
| 2022 | 92.9 | 92.0 |
| 2023 | 94.7 | 93.8 |
| 2024 | 94.2 | 93.8 |
Housing (rents)
- South Bend, IN
- Wausau, WI
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| South Bend, IN | Wausau, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 75.0 | 71.7 |
| 2009 | 75.8 | 75.2 |
| 2010 | 76.0 | 78.7 |
| 2011 | 78.3 | 76.2 |
| 2012 | 66.2 | 78.8 |
| 2013 | 74.6 | 77.0 |
| 2014 | 71.6 | 60.7 |
| 2015 | 70.5 | 74.3 |
| 2016 | 72.9 | 71.3 |
| 2017 | 64.5 | 69.9 |
| 2018 | 70.5 | 68.9 |
| 2019 | 70.4 | 72.0 |
| 2020 | 73.2 | 63.7 |
| 2021 | 69.6 | 66.1 |
| 2022 | 76.6 | 74.9 |
| 2023 | 71.5 | 66.0 |
| 2024 | 74.6 | 71.5 |
Utilities
- South Bend, IN
- Wausau, WI
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| South Bend, IN | Wausau, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 89.4 | 100.6 |
| 2009 | 92.3 | 102.1 |
| 2010 | 86.4 | 101.8 |
| 2011 | 90.3 | 102.3 |
| 2012 | 90.2 | 101.4 |
| 2013 | 89.7 | 100.1 |
| 2014 | 85.6 | 96.7 |
| 2015 | 85.9 | 93.7 |
| 2016 | 84.1 | 91.4 |
| 2017 | 88.9 | 94.6 |
| 2018 | 92.7 | 97.4 |
| 2019 | 90.7 | 93.1 |
| 2020 | 92.3 | 92.6 |
| 2021 | 93.1 | 94.8 |
| 2022 | 88.2 | 90.0 |
| 2023 | 86.1 | 89.9 |
| 2024 | 87.7 | 90.0 |
Other services
- South Bend, IN
- Wausau, WI
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| South Bend, IN | Wausau, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 98.7 | 99.8 |
| 2009 | 98.5 | 99.4 |
| 2010 | 97.9 | 98.8 |
| 2011 | 95.1 | 96.6 |
| 2012 | 95.8 | 96.8 |
| 2013 | 96.6 | 98.1 |
| 2014 | 95.8 | 96.4 |
| 2015 | 94.0 | 94.9 |
| 2016 | 94.9 | 96.0 |
| 2017 | 93.9 | 95.1 |
| 2018 | 96.1 | 95.6 |
| 2019 | 98.4 | 98.3 |
| 2020 | 97.6 | 97.7 |
| 2021 | 97.8 | 97.9 |
| 2022 | 97.6 | 97.6 |
| 2023 | 97.4 | 97.7 |
| 2024 | 99.2 | 99.4 |
Rent and home values
Typical asking rent: $960 in Wausau vs $1,258 in South Bend
Typical asking rent for a new lease, dollars per month. Quarterly.
- South Bend, IN
- Wausau, WI
- United States
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (typical asking rent, all homes, smoothed), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| South Bend, IN | Wausau, WI | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $635 | – | $1,145 |
| Jun 2015 | $645 | – | $1,170 |
| Sep 2015 | $633 | – | $1,181 |
| Dec 2015 | $638 | – | $1,182 |
| Mar 2016 | $655 | – | $1,195 |
| Jun 2016 | $656 | – | $1,219 |
| Sep 2016 | $660 | – | $1,225 |
| Dec 2016 | $657 | – | $1,222 |
| Mar 2017 | $672 | – | $1,245 |
| Jun 2017 | $685 | – | $1,270 |
| Sep 2017 | $698 | – | $1,276 |
| Dec 2017 | $708 | – | $1,275 |
| Mar 2018 | $707 | – | $1,296 |
| Jun 2018 | $730 | – | $1,320 |
| Sep 2018 | $733 | – | $1,327 |
| Dec 2018 | $739 | – | $1,329 |
| Mar 2019 | $732 | – | $1,349 |
| Jun 2019 | $767 | – | $1,376 |
| Sep 2019 | $770 | – | $1,383 |
| Dec 2019 | $756 | – | $1,381 |
| Mar 2020 | $772 | – | $1,402 |
| Jun 2020 | $801 | – | $1,406 |
| Sep 2020 | $825 | – | $1,410 |
| Dec 2020 | $834 | – | $1,407 |
| Mar 2021 | $878 | – | $1,443 |
| Jun 2021 | $916 | – | $1,512 |
| Sep 2021 | $947 | – | $1,590 |
| Dec 2021 | $972 | – | $1,622 |
| Mar 2022 | $982 | $765 | $1,661 |
| Jun 2022 | $1,032 | $803 | $1,721 |
| Sep 2022 | $1,051 | $810 | $1,748 |
| Dec 2022 | $1,058 | $806 | $1,735 |
| Mar 2023 | $1,068 | $816 | $1,757 |
| Jun 2023 | $1,112 | $834 | $1,785 |
| Sep 2023 | $1,137 | $839 | $1,797 |
| Dec 2023 | $1,115 | $828 | $1,786 |
| Mar 2024 | $1,127 | $824 | $1,807 |
| Jun 2024 | $1,142 | $855 | $1,837 |
| Sep 2024 | $1,168 | $872 | $1,845 |
| Dec 2024 | $1,186 | $851 | $1,836 |
| Mar 2025 | $1,189 | $886 | $1,860 |
| Jun 2025 | $1,204 | $895 | $1,880 |
| Sep 2025 | $1,236 | $902 | $1,881 |
| Dec 2025 | $1,232 | $907 | $1,873 |
| Mar 2026 | $1,240 | $935 | $1,894 |
| Jun 2026 | $1,269 | $961 | $1,921 |
| Sep 2026 | $1,258 | $960 | $1,932 |
Typical home value: $271,000 in Wausau vs $238,000 in South Bend
Typical home value, dollars. Quarterly.
- South Bend, IN
- Wausau, WI
- United States
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (typical home value, middle tier, smoothed, seasonally adjusted), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| South Bend, IN | Wausau, WI | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $103K | $130K | $189K |
| Jun 2015 | $105K | $132K | $192K |
| Sep 2015 | $106K | $134K | $195K |
| Dec 2015 | $108K | $135K | $199K |
| Mar 2016 | $110K | $136K | $202K |
| Jun 2016 | $112K | $137K | $204K |
| Sep 2016 | $114K | $139K | $206K |
| Dec 2016 | $117K | $141K | $209K |
| Mar 2017 | $117K | $143K | $213K |
| Jun 2017 | $119K | $144K | $216K |
| Sep 2017 | $121K | $145K | $219K |
| Dec 2017 | $124K | $147K | $223K |
| Mar 2018 | $127K | $149K | $227K |
| Jun 2018 | $129K | $152K | $230K |
| Sep 2018 | $130K | $155K | $234K |
| Dec 2018 | $133K | $156K | $236K |
| Mar 2019 | $136K | $159K | $239K |
| Jun 2019 | $138K | $163K | $242K |
| Sep 2019 | $139K | $166K | $244K |
| Dec 2019 | $142K | $170K | $247K |
| Mar 2020 | $145K | $170K | $252K |
| Jun 2020 | $148K | $172K | $255K |
| Sep 2020 | $150K | $178K | $260K |
| Dec 2020 | $156K | $181K | $271K |
| Mar 2021 | $163K | $182K | $282K |
| Jun 2021 | $171K | $188K | $296K |
| Sep 2021 | $174K | $193K | $306K |
| Dec 2021 | $176K | $194K | $314K |
| Mar 2022 | $186K | $199K | $330K |
| Jun 2022 | $194K | $206K | $346K |
| Sep 2022 | $195K | $204K | $348K |
| Dec 2022 | $195K | $205K | $345K |
| Mar 2023 | $196K | $212K | $343K |
| Jun 2023 | $202K | $220K | $347K |
| Sep 2023 | $206K | $225K | $352K |
| Dec 2023 | $207K | $225K | $354K |
| Mar 2024 | $210K | $227K | $357K |
| Jun 2024 | $215K | $234K | $361K |
| Sep 2024 | $216K | $236K | $361K |
| Dec 2024 | $218K | $241K | $363K |
| Mar 2025 | $221K | $246K | $364K |
| Jun 2025 | $222K | $248K | $362K |
| Sep 2025 | $224K | $249K | $362K |
| Dec 2025 | $226K | $257K | $364K |
| Mar 2026 | $231K | $267K | $366K |
| Jun 2026 | $235K | $269K | $365K |
| Sep 2026 | $238K | $271K | $366K |
More about each city
What this comparison leaves out
- Taxes. State and local income, sales and property taxes can change the result a lot, especially between states.
- Neighborhoods. These are metro-wide averages; a city center and its outer suburbs can differ by more than two metros do.
- Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider above if rent is a bigger share of your budget.
- Timing. BEA price levels are for 2024; Zillow figures are monthly and newer.