City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Rockford, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 13.5% higher than in Rockford, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Rockford, IL would need about $113,500 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,591 a month in New Haven, CT versus $895 in Rockford, IL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 14% in Rockford, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $880 a year higher in Rockford, IL than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.1% moving from New Haven, CT to Rockford, IL ($125,431 → $118,984), while prices change by −11.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.6% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (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
| New Haven, CT | Rockford, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 92.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,136 in Rockford | $113,461 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $895/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $47,120 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Rockford, IL MSA. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Rockford, IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Rockford |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 70.1 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 89.4 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 92.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Rockford, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$880/yr.
100 Strong offer
Rockford, IL → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$880/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Rockford, IL is in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Rockford, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Rockford, IL | Real change, New Haven → Rockford |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $68,999 | +7.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $83,482 | +7.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $100,059 | +7.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $118,984 | +7.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $140,604 | +7.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Rockford, IL | Rockford pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $64,200 | $72,842 (−8.7%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $107,640 | $122,130 (−8.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $75,260 | $85,391 (−10.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $80,930 | $91,824 (−12.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.