South Bend offers homes at every price level, from starter homes up to spacious luxury estates. Homes in South Bend, however, are generally less expensive than comparable homes in other cities.

Case in point: the median home value in South Bend is almost 30 percent lower than the average in Indiana. Yet the homes available are the same, well-built homes you would expect in a city steeped in Midwestern values.

Once you have the house, it costs less to live in South Bend as well. Utilities, groceries, transportation and health care are at or below the average cost of other major cities around the country.

Whether it's buying a house or making a home, South Bend is an outstanding value.