City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Rockford, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Buffalo, NY are 4.0% higher than in Rockford, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Rockford, IL would need about $104,000 in Buffalo, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,139 a month in Buffalo, NY versus $895 in Rockford, IL. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Buffalo, NY and 14% in Rockford, IL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $4,805 in IL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.9% moving from Buffalo, NY to Rockford, IL ($111,301 → $118,984), while prices change by −3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.2% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- 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
| Buffalo, NY | Rockford, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 92.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,150 in Rockford | $104,004 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $895/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $47,120 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Rockford, IL MSA. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Rockford, IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Rockford |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 70.1 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 89.4 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 92.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Rockford, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.0%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$55/yr.
81 Strong offer
Rockford, IL → Buffalo, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$55/yr.
57 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Rockford, IL is in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Rockford, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Rockford, IL | Real change, Buffalo → Rockford |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $68,999 | +11.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $83,482 | +11.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $100,059 | +11.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $118,984 | +11.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $140,604 | +11.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Rockford, IL | Rockford pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $116,290 | $119,400 | $124,181 (+6.8%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $107,640 | $111,950 (−12.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $75,260 | $78,274 (−4.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $80,930 | $84,171 (−15.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.