South Bend, IN, may be best known as the home of the golden-domed University of Notre Dame and its storied Fighting Irish football team—but this year, the mid-sized Midwestern metro is turning heads for another reason—its surging housing market.
Set along the St. Joseph’s River, South Bend—a city of 350,000 residents—took home the bronze in the Fall 2025 Wall Street Journal/Realtor.com® Housing Market Ranking, climbing a staggering 21 spots from the previous quarter thanks to its surging appeal among budget-conscious buyers.
“Located roughly 100 miles from Chicago, Grand Rapids, MI, and Fort Wayne, IN, South Bend benefits from its proximity to major job markets,” explains Realtor.com Senior Economic Research Analyst Hannah Jones. “The metro’s economy is anchored by higher education, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing, with the University of Notre Dame serving as both a cultural anchor and an innovation hub.”
The quarterly ranking evaluates the 200 most populous U.S. metros as measured by the U.S. Census Bureau, taking into account real estate demand, housing inventory, median days on the market, median price trends, property taxes, climate risks, unemployment rate, wages, regional price parities, amenities, and other factors that affect the cost of living and quality of life.
The goal of the ranking is to help aspiring homebuyers identify desirable markets to consider when purchasing a primary residence or investment property.
Affordable market sees demand spike
As in much of the Midwest, South Bend’s housing inventory remains tight— close to 40% below pre-pandemic levels. As a result, the typical home in the metro now costs more than twice what it did in 2019.
But despite the price growth, South Bend remains affordable. In September, the median list price in South Bend was $312,000, up more than 18% year over year—but still more than $110,000 below the national figure.
Additionally, the pace of South Bend’s market was relatively brisk: The typical for-sale residential property in town waited for a buyer just 42 days last month, about three weeks less than the national median.
“Our cost of living has stayed flat for many years, and that turns on potential investors and new citizens,” Angie Pritchard, 2025 president of the South Bend Area Realtors®, tells Realtor.com.
The third quarter saw roughly three-quarters of South Bend’s listing viewership on Realtor.com coming from shoppers outside the city, led by Chicago, at 20.5%.
Just over 11% of listing viewership came from Indianapolis, IN, followed by Elkhart, IN, at 9.5%.
Perhaps more surprisingly, a notable 7.3% of South Bend’s listing views came from distant New York City, NY—located roughly 700 miles to the east—while Washington, DC, rounded out the top five at 6.1%.
The mid-sized city has also been attracting attention from much farther away.
“In the last several years, we have seen an influx of not only national but also international buyers due to low housing prices,” says Pritchard. “South Bend International Airport and the South Shore have helped bring that investment with the ease of transportation.”
Education, jobs, lifestyle
The association president notes that people from other cities, states, and countries often come to South Bend for education—and stay for the the lifestyle.
“We have several universities and colleges in the area that pull in students and their parents,” she says. “Once they are here, they see what we have to offer without all the hustle and bustle of larger metro areas.”
South Bend features a state-of-the-art fiber optic network, which allows opportunities for residents and businesses, and access to Interstate 94, putting major cities in the region within easy reach.
Beyond solid infrastructure, Pritchard says South Bend boasts beautiful river walks and an array of restaurants.
“St. Joseph County Parks and Potato Creek State Park are amazing, with many year-round opportunities for various activities,” she says. “On lunch, if you work in this area, you can grab a quick bite and enjoy a brisk walk by the St Joseph River.”
Development powerhouse
The timing of South Bend’s sudden surge in popularity, according to Pritchard, has been driven in part by a spike in development .
“We have large-scale building projects that require electricity, water, and internet,” she points out. “With these projects, we have an influx of construction workers coming into the area to work. They are moving here because of the great schools and affordable homes.”
In recent years, the city also has been attracting real estate investors and seen its short-term rental market drastically expand thanks to its centralized location.
“We have an incredible region,” says Pritchard. “From La Porte, IN, to Elkhart, South Bend sits right in the middle of it so you are 20 to 40 minutes from so many attractions.”
Jones, the Realtor.com analyst, maintains that South Bend’s strong performance reflects a broader trend across the Midwest this fall: a combination of affordability and economic steadiness is keeping regional markets resilient despite economic headwinds.
“Mid-sized metros with strong local anchors, whether universities, hospitals, or manufacturing clusters, are capturing both local and inbound demand, reinforcing that in a challenging national market, desirability often stems from dependability,” she says.
Looking ahead, Pritchard says St. Joseph’s County—home to South Bend—is in urgent need of additional housing, especially as ongoing commercial development is expected to bring thousands of new jobs to the area in the next few years.
“There are several planned projects for new apartment complexes and minor subdivisions, but we still need more affordable residential sites,” adds the president.
