City comparison
Austin, TX vs Rockford, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 6.4% higher than in Rockford, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Rockford, IL would need about $106,400 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $895 in Rockford, IL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 14% in Rockford, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,805 a year higher in Rockford, IL than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.7% moving from Austin, TX to Rockford, IL ($109,428 → $118,984), while prices change by −6.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +15.7% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Rockford, IL: price level 92.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Rockford, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 92.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,971 in Rockford | $106,415 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $895/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $47,120 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Rockford, IL MSA. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Rockford, IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Rockford |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 70.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 89.4 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 92.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Rockford, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.4%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$4,805/yr.
89 Strong offer
Rockford, IL → Austin, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,805/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Rockford, IL is in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Rockford, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Rockford, IL | Real change, Austin → Rockford |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $68,999 | +15.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $83,482 | +15.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $100,059 | +15.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $118,984 | +15.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $140,604 | +15.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Rockford, IL | Rockford pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $64,200 | $68,319 (+11.5%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $107,640 | $114,545 (−14.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $75,260 | $80,088 (−3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $80,930 | $86,122 (−12.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.