City comparison
Nashville, TN vs Rockford, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Nashville, TN are 4.5% higher than in Rockford, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Rockford, IL would need about $104,500 in Nashville, TN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $895 in Rockford, IL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 14% in Rockford, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,805 a year higher in Rockford, IL than in Nashville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.8% moving from Nashville, TN to Rockford, IL ($106,437 → $118,984), while prices change by −4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +16.9% in real buying power.
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (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
| Nashville, TN | Rockford, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.3 | 92.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,657 in Rockford | $104,540 in Nashville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,578/mo | $895/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,390 | $47,120 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI |
Rent areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area and Rockford, IL MSA. Metro areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN and Rockford, IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Nashville | Rockford |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.6 | 70.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 72.0 | 89.4 |
| Other services | 95.1 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 96.3 | 92.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Nashville, TN → Rockford, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$4,805/yr.
83 Strong offer
Rockford, IL → Nashville, TN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,805/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Nashville, TN 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 Nashville, TN to Rockford, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Nashville, TN | Rockford, IL | Real change, Nashville → Rockford |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,999 | +16.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,482 | +16.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,059 | +16.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $118,984 | +16.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $140,604 | +16.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Nashville, TN | Rockford, IL | Rockford pay in Nashville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,460 | $64,200 | $67,115 (+9.2%) |
| Software Developers | $126,610 | $107,640 | $112,527 (−11.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,080 | $75,260 | $78,677 (+0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,040 | $80,930 | $84,604 (+0.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.