Population 2,117 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in South Bend
Household size in South Bend
| Period | South Bend | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.29 | 2.56 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.20 | 2.62 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.55 | 2.62 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.37 | 2.61 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.08 | +0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in South Bend are small: just 2.37 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in South Bend
| Period | South Bend | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.6 | 38.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 48.7 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.1 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 48.2 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.6 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 48.2, South Bend is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 46.6 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in South Bend
| Period | South Bend | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.8% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.6% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.2% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 17.7% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.9 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in six households in South Bend (17.7%), well above the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in South Bend
Renters in South Bend
| Period | South Bend | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.1% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.3% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.7% | 37.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 31.4% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over three in ten households in South Bend rent their homes (31.4%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Just over four in ten owners (42.0%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in South Bend
| Period | South Bend | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.5% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.9% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 24.3% | 8.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.9% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in South Bend: 14.9% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in South Bend
| Period | South Bend | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1957 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1962 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1954 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1959 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +6 | +6 |
South Bend is a place of older homes: half were built before 1959, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in South Bend
| Period | South Bend | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $611 | $1,018 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $634 | $1,127 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $745 | $1,390 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,132 | $1,875 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$521 | +$858 | +$606 |
A typical rental in South Bend costs $1,132 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 30.7% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in South Bend
Bachelor's degrees in South Bend
| Period | South Bend | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.6% | 31.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.5% | 32.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.2% | 35.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.9% | 38.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.3 pts | +7.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in South Bend: 20.9% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in South Bend
| Period | South Bend | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 81.2% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.6% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 81.8% | 91.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 80.8% | 91.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | +2.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in five adults in South Bend never finished high school, well above the national share: only 80.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in South Bend
| Period | South Bend | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.7% | 7.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.0% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.8% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.2% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been harder to find in South Bend than nationally: unemployment was 7.2%, against 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
South Bend compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Bend | 2.37 | 48.2 | 17.7% | 31.4% | 14.9% | 1959 | $1,132 | 20.9% | 80.8% | 7.2% |
| Raymond | 2.27 | 46.0 | 7.9% | 17.7% | 11.7% | 1962 | $1,086 | 20.5% | 85.1% | 4.5% |
| Willapa | 2.47 | 39.1 | 11.2% | 16.1% | 12.1% | 1965 | $1,176 | 19.4% | 83.1% | 6.7% |
| Bay Center | 2.10 | 55.2 | 3.8% | 16.0% | 23.4% | 1990 | $1,121 | 26.6% | 93.9% | 3.4% |
| Holcomb | 2.33 | 55.7 | 2.9% | 5.1% | 18.6% | 1977 | $1,389 | 22.2% | 94.4% | 3.4% |
| Tokeland | 2.16 | 53.0 | 4.2% | 14.0% | 29.7% | 1988 | $1,107 | 25.0% | 94.0% | 5.3% |
| Lebam | 2.33 | 55.7 | 2.9% | 5.1% | 18.6% | 1977 | $1,389 | 22.2% | 94.4% | 3.4% |
| Oysterville | 1.94 | 62.6 | 1.3% | 7.1% | 48.8% | 1993 | $1,153 | 33.1% | 96.8% | 6.0% |
| Menlo | 2.45 | 42.5 | 22.9% | 11.2% | 29.8% | 1958 | $1,552 | 14.1% | 96.1% | 5.4% |
| Vesta | 2.12 | 57.0 | 5.0% | 19.4% | 3.8% | 1971 | $1,043 | 22.5% | 94.8% | 1.1% |
| Bay City | 2.29 | 44.4 | 8.3% | 11.8% | 42.7% | 1978 | $922 | 15.1% | 93.4% | 10.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Shanks, WV · Johannesburg, MI · La Plata, MO · Level Plains, AL · Archie, MO · Lynn, IN · Lyon, MS · Macclesfield, NC · Malta, TX · Mangonia Park, FL
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up South Bend. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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