City comparison
Reading, PA vs Rockford, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 5.3% higher than in Rockford, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Rockford, IL would need about $105,300 in Reading, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,237 a month in Reading, PA versus $895 in Rockford, IL. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 14% in Rockford, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,735 a year higher in Rockford, IL than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.4% moving from Reading, PA to Rockford, IL ($117,284 → $118,984), while prices change by −5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.9% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (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
| Reading, PA | Rockford, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 92.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,945 in Rockford | $105,324 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $895/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $47,120 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Rockford, IL MSA. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Rockford, IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Rockford |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 70.1 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 89.4 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 92.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Rockford, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$1,735/yr.
85 Strong offer
Rockford, IL → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,735/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Rockford, IL is in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Rockford, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Rockford, IL | Real change, Reading → Rockford |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $68,999 | +6.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $83,482 | +6.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $100,059 | +6.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $118,984 | +6.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $140,604 | +6.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Rockford, IL | Rockford pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $64,200 | $67,618 (−15.3%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $107,640 | $113,370 (−6.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $75,260 | $79,267 (+4.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $80,930 | $85,238 (−13.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.