City comparison
Rockford, IL vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salt Lake City, UT are 9.5% higher than in Rockford, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Rockford, IL would need about $109,500 in Salt Lake City, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,456 a month in Salt Lake City, UT versus $895 in Rockford, IL. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 14% in Rockford, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,271 a year higher in Rockford, IL than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.5% moving from Rockford, IL to Salt Lake City, UT ($118,984 → $106,437), while prices change by +9.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −18.3% in real buying power.
- Rockford, IL: price level 92.2 (cheaper)
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Rockford, IL | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,456 in Salt Lake City | $91,361 in Rockford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $895/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,120 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Rockford, IL MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Rockford, IL and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Rockford | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.1 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 89.4 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Rockford, IL → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,271/yr.
42 Weak offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Rockford, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$1,271/yr.
98 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Rockford, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Rockford, IL to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Rockford, IL | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Rockford → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $61,722 | −18.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $74,678 | −18.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $89,508 | −18.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $106,437 | −18.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $125,776 | −18.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Rockford, IL | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Rockford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,200 | $77,920 | $71,188 (+10.9%) |
| Software Developers | $107,640 | $129,600 | $118,404 (+10.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,260 | $82,100 | $75,007 (−0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,930 | $85,890 | $78,470 (−3.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.