If you spend enough time in tourism and economic development, you learn that success and challenge often arrive together.
That’s certainly the story of St. Joseph County today.
Over the past year, our community has earned national recognition from organizations that have no obligation to be kind to us. They simply follow the data, and increasingly, the data points in our direction.
Last fall, the Wall Street Journal and Realtor.com ranked the South Bend-Mishawaka market among the top housing markets in the country, highlighting our affordability, quality of life and proximity to major employment centers.
More recently, South Bend earned a top three ranking nationally in the Fall 2025 Housing Market Ranking, climbing more than 20 spots in a single quarter. Analysts cited affordability, location and growing demand among homebuyers looking for value and opportunity.
At the same time, Airbnb data continues to showcase South Bend and St. Joseph County as a destination travelers actively seek out. This demand is fueled by University of Notre Dame athletics, festivals, youth sports, special events and family gatherings.
These recognitions matter. Not because they give us bragging rights, but because they validate what many of us already know: People want to live here, visit here, invest here and build their future here.
This happens because generations of residents invested in neighborhoods, schools, parks, businesses, cultural attractions and community institutions. It happens because local entrepreneurs continue taking risks. It happens because hospitality workers greet visitors with a smile, because volunteers support events and because community leaders keep pushing forward.
Yet while we should celebrate these successes, we should also acknowledge an uncomfortable truth: Recognition does not eliminate challenges.
Workforce shortages continue across multiple sectors. Restaurants, hotels, healthcare providers, manufacturers and small businesses are all competing for talent. Economic growth is exciting, but growth requires people.
Infrastructure demands are increasing. As more visitors discover our community and more residents choose to stay, investments in roads, public spaces, transportation and neighborhood amenities become even more important.
And perhaps our greatest challenge remains perception.
For decades, many of us became accustomed to underselling ourselves. We were quick to point out what we lacked rather than what we offered. “There is nothing to do” was a common refrain. Meanwhile, the rest of the country started paying closer attention.
They see a community anchored by one of the world’s most recognizable universities and a trail that literally and figuratively connects us. They see a growing youth sports market. They see revitalized downtowns, growing entrepreneurship, cultural attractions and outdoor recreation.
The goal isn’t to collect rankings or headlines. The goal is to build a community where residents want to stay, where businesses want to grow and where visitors leave planning their next trip before they reach the county line.
The good news is that we don’t have to choose between celebrating success and confronting challenges.
As St. Joseph County continues earning national recognition, our responsibility is to use that momentum wisely, which is to invest in our hospitality product, our workforce and our quality of place and ensure that growth benefits everyone. 2025 was a record-setting year, so that momentum is picking up pace.
We’ve made remarkable progress, yet there is still work to do. Bring on those challenges, because we are creating success.
Visit South Bend Mishawaka is here to help tell our story, highlight our incredible experiences, and bring the best to The Bend. Here are just a few exciting upcoming event highlights. To see more, head to visitsouthbend.com.
June 22: Battell Park Bandshell Concert Series at Battell Park in Mishawaka
June 24: Mishawaka’s Summer Concert Series at Ballband Biergarten
July 3: Fridays by the Fountain at Morris Performing Arts Center
July 4: All-American Rock Party at Four Winds Field
July 7: Monster Truck Throwdown during the St. Joseph County 4_H Fair at the St. Joseph County 4-H Fairgrounds
Jeff Jarnecke is the executive director of Visit South Bend Mishawaka (jjarnecke@visitsouthbend.com).
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Success, recognition come to St. Joseph County, but so do challenges
Reporting by Jeff Jarnecke, Guest columnist / South Bend Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jeff Jarnecke, Guest columnist | USA TODAY Network
