City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Rockford, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 11.9% higher than in Rockford, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Rockford, IL would need about $111,900 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $895 in Rockford, IL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, 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 Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.8% moving from Dallas, TX to Rockford, IL ($115,711 → $118,984), while prices change by −10.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +15.0% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- 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
| Dallas, TX | Rockford, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 92.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,392 in Rockford | $111,867 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/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 | 25% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $47,120 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Rockford, IL MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Rockford, IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Rockford |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 70.1 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 89.4 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 92.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Rockford, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$4,805/yr.
100 Strong offer
Rockford, IL → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,805/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Rockford, IL is in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Rockford, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Rockford, IL | Real change, Dallas → Rockford |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $68,999 | +15.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $83,482 | +15.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $100,059 | +15.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $118,984 | +15.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $140,604 | +15.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Rockford, IL | Rockford pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $64,200 | $71,819 (+10.4%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $107,640 | $120,414 (−9.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $75,260 | $84,191 (+1.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $80,930 | $90,534 (−10.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.