City comparison
Louisville, KY vs Rockford, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Louisville, KY (93.1) and Rockford, IL (92.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Louisville, KY goes as far as $99,000 in Rockford, IL.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,047 a month in Louisville, KY versus $895 in Rockford, IL. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Louisville, KY and 14% in Rockford, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,423 a year higher in Rockford, IL than in Louisville, KY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.8% moving from Louisville, KY to Rockford, IL ($106,437 → $118,984), while prices change by −1.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.9% in real buying power.
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (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
| Louisville, KY | Rockford, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 92.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,012 in Rockford | $100,998 in Louisville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,047/mo | $895/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,798 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,382 (KY) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,370 | $47,120 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI |
Rent areas: Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Rockford, IL MSA. Metro areas: Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN and Rockford, IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Louisville | Rockford |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 70.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 75.0 | 89.4 |
| Other services | 96.8 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 92.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Louisville, KY → Rockford, IL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.0%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$1,423/yr.
72 Strong offer
Rockford, IL → Louisville, KY
Roughly even
Buying power −1.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,423/yr.
66 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Louisville, KY is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Rockford, IL is in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Louisville, KY to Rockford, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Louisville, KY | Rockford, IL | Real change, Louisville → Rockford |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,999 | +12.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,482 | +12.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,059 | +12.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $118,984 | +12.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $140,604 | +12.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Louisville, KY | Rockford, IL | Rockford pay in Louisville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,610 | $64,200 | $64,841 (+5.2%) |
| Software Developers | $110,270 | $107,640 | $108,715 (−1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $75,260 | $76,011 (−0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,850 | $80,930 | $81,738 (−3.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.