Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,790, settled in 1875.
The best of South Bend’s subject grades are an A for walkability and an A− for history; the weakest is a D− for incomes. South Bend’s July high is 69°F, against 77°F in Washington’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns. On incomes, just 5 of Washington’s 396 towns do worse. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 93% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. Only 16 of Washington’s 397 towns score higher on history. The biggest park or preserve is North Willapa Bay Wildlife Area, at 118 acres. South Bend has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where South Bend beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Where South Bend’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far South Bend is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 711 in 1900, a peak of 3,023 in 1910, 1,746 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 5 maps from 1938 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in South Bend, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in South Bend.
24% of South Bend residents live below the poverty line, where Washington’s towns sit at 7.9% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. 22% of South Bend working residents work locally. Jobs based in South Bend grew to 1,133 in 2023, 109 more than in 2013.
| South Bend | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 24% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 4.9% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the South Bend School District. Two of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Washington Digital Academy, with 458 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Morris ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 286 | – |
| South Bend High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 258 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
Since 1990, 28 flood insurance claims have been paid out in South Bend.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical South Bend home is worth about $313,000, about the same as a year ago, 47% below the Washington typical home. South Bend’s median rent is $1,010 a month.
| South Bend | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,010 a month | $1,739 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 64% | 71% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The violent crime rate in South Bend is 0 per 1,000 residents. Only 5 of the 133 Washington towns we compare have a lower property crime rate than South Bend. South Bend reports less crime per resident than 76% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.
| South Bend | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.3 per 1,000 residents | 15 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
15% of adults have diabetes in South Bend. Among 286 Washington towns, just 7 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than South Bend. 38% of adults have obesity in South Bend.
| South Bend | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 9.8% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 17% | 19% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 31% | 35% |
| What stands out | South Bend | WA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 76.1% | 70.7% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 16.9% | 10.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
South Bend has mild winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. Among 286 Washington towns, just 10 have a higher January low than South Bend.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| South Bend | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 10% | 4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. North Willapa Bay Wildlife Area | — | 118 |
| 2. Willapa Hills State Park Trail | 0.1 mi | 9 |
| 3. First Street Park | 0.1 mi | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of South Bend; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 South Bend residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
4 places in South Bend on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in South Bend.
City in Washington, United States
South Bend is a city in and the county seat of Pacific County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,746 as of the 2020 census. The town is widely-known for its oyster production and scenery.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with South Bend.
| Town | WA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Bend | — | — | C | A− | C | C |
| Raymond | #265 | D | C+ | — | C | C+ |
South Bend has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Raymond reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare South Bend with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
That is 4.7 years of the area's median household income ($67,081 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
3 notable people were born here, including Helen Kleeb and Pat Paulsen.
