Photo: Scott Palmer · CC BY-SA 4.0South Bend spent more per resident in 2022 than 94% of similar cities
South Bend’s city government spent $278.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $2,698 per resident. Water and other utilities ($24.5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how South Bend is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,233 per resident in 2022: more than 94% of them
South Bend’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,233 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 16 Indiana cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,218, and the middle half spent $930–$1,481. South Bend spent more than 94% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($26.2 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Indiana cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; South Bend itself left out).
About $2,698 per resident a year, or $7.39 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 19%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 22% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years South Bend reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $2,233 · 2023: $3,534 · 2024: $2,698.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,206 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,332 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.95% of the home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at South Bend’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to South Bend’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in South Bend →
Who’s in charge in South Bend
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
South Bend’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on southbendin.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 81 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (103,110).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
South Bend Community School Corporation
South Bend’s K–12 school district, shared with Centre Township, Clay Township, German Township, Greene Township, Indian Village and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,729 per pupil, $8,686 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Indiana districts overall: 33% local, 56% state, 11% federal.
Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation · $11,327 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How South Bend voted in 2024
Official results for South Bend’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat64.2%22,400 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican33.6%11,724 votesOthers: 2.2% (755 votes).
Most votes in South Bend: Kamala D Harris
Indiana: Trump 58.6%, Harris 39.6%
of South Bend’s 71,306 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Indiana: 58%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in South Bend: Valerie McCray
Indiana: Banks 58.6%, McCray 38.8%
Most votes in South Bend: Jennifer G McCormick
President, 2024: South Bend, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Bend | 64.2% | 33.6% | 2.2% | 34,879 |
| Indiana | 39.6% | 58.6% | 1.8% | 2,936,677 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for South Bend.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: southbendin.gov ↗
- 2Indiana HouseSouth Bend is split between 3 districts
- 3Indiana SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Indiana
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How South Bend compares with the towns next door
South Bend spent $2,233 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Portage Township | $3 | $1,165 |
| Penn Township | $113 | $1,506 |
| Mishawaka | $1,356 | $1,405 |
| South Bend | $2,233 | $1,332 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach South Bend’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about South Bend’s government
How much does South Bend spend per resident?
About $2,698 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,233 was more than 94% of 16 Indiana cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in South Bend?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,332 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.95% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see southbendin.gov.
Who runs South Bend’s government?
See southbendin.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for South Bend yet.
How did South Bend vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 64.2%, Donald J Trump 33.6% (34,879 votes, official results). . Indiana: Trump 58.6%, Harris 39.6%.
How many people work for South Bend?
1,268 full-time and 268 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $8.9M (about $106.9M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents South Bend in the state legislature?
South Bend is split among 3 State House districts and 3 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Indiana Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about South Bend’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →