South Bend ranks 5th on top places people are moving to this summer

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- South Bend is ranked number five in the housing market ranking from the Wall Street Journal and Realtors list.

Out of top five ranked on the list, four are from the Midwest. two are from Ohio and two are from Indiana.

Sales throughout St. Joseph County have risen 18 percent since last year despite statewide increase of only six percent per the Indiana Association of Realtors.

Currently, experts have said that there aren’t enough houses to meet the demand. The inventory is one point four months, which means if no new homes hit the market after today, we would run out by the middle of September.

The number of houses available grew in the last year, about 35 percent more.

The reasoning behind the ranking appeared to be attributed to the affordability of South Bend and Mishawaka.

“We have a good income rate for workers versus the housing cost, you’re going to find a better ratio than you will in maybe other parts of the country,” said Quinn Thurin, Manager of Cressy & Everett Real Estate

There are a diversity of jobs at various income levels in the region.

New areas of development that contributed to this growth in population included the current building of the data center in St. Joseph, battery plant in New Carlisle, Microsoft and Amazon facilities.

This has led to thousands of jobs that now leave many people who needed a place to call home.

“Homes are where jobs go to sleep. We need homes for those people. We just don’t have enough inventory,” Rachel Prillwitz, President of South Bend Area Realtors shared with the struggle the area has faced with keeping up with growing demand.

South Bend home prices are 10 percent lower than the state median average sale price.

“I think between the arts and the parks and the quality of life that’s a big attractor for people and in turn jobs,” Quinn Thurin continued.

Prillwitz thinks that it is more than just the area, but what surrounds it made this area rise in the rankings.

“The vibrancy of communities that we have here. You can get up to the lakes in 45 minutes. You can go visit wine country in Buchanan you know southern Michigan. You can go to Indy for the weekend if you want,” Rachel Prillwitz says.

Local relators think the changed landscape of the workforce has allowed for new perspective on the Midwest.

“There’s a lot of life to be found outside of the larger cities and south bend being so close to larger cities, close to Chicago, close to Indy it allows people to enjoy a mix of both of those things.” Rachel Prillwitz shared.