City comparison
Cincinnati, OH vs Rockford, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cincinnati, OH are 3.5% higher than in Rockford, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Rockford, IL would need about $103,500 in Cincinnati, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,051 a month in Cincinnati, OH versus $895 in Rockford, IL. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Cincinnati, OH and 14% in Rockford, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,838 a year higher in Rockford, IL than in Cincinnati, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.3% moving from Cincinnati, OH to Rockford, IL ($110,865 → $118,984), while prices change by −3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.1% in real buying power.
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (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
| Cincinnati, OH | Rockford, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.4 | 92.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,628 in Rockford | $103,490 in Cincinnati |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,051/mo | $895/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,170 | $47,120 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI |
Rent areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Rockford, IL MSA. Metro areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and Rockford, IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cincinnati | Rockford |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.6 | 70.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 91.0 | 89.4 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 95.4 | 92.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cincinnati, OH → Rockford, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$2,838/yr.
80 Strong offer
Rockford, IL → Cincinnati, OH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,838/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cincinnati, OH is in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN pay area; Rockford, IL is in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Cincinnati, OH to Rockford, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cincinnati, OH | Rockford, IL | Real change, Cincinnati → Rockford |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,290 | $68,999 | +11.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,785 | $83,482 | +11.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,231 | $100,059 | +11.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,865 | $118,984 | +11.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,009 | $140,604 | +11.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cincinnati, OH | Rockford, IL | Rockford pay in Cincinnati dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,740 | $64,200 | $66,440 (+2.6%) |
| Software Developers | $121,420 | $107,640 | $111,396 (−8.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,640 | $75,260 | $77,886 (−3.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,650 | $80,930 | $83,754 (+0.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.