City comparison
Rockford, IL vs San Jose, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Jose, CA are 19.8% higher than in Rockford, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Rockford, IL would need about $119,800 in San Jose, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $895 in Rockford, IL. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 14% in Rockford, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $265 a year higher in San Jose, CA than in Rockford, IL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.8% moving from Rockford, IL to San Jose, CA ($118,984 → $133,060), while prices change by +19.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.7% in real buying power.
- Rockford, IL: price level 92.2 (cheaper)
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Rockford, IL | San Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 110.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $119,824 in San Jose | $83,455 in Rockford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $895/mo | $2,982/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,120 | $84,050 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Rockford, IL MSA and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Rockford, IL and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Rockford | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.1 | 211.9 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.4 | 156.7 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 110.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Rockford, IL → San Jose, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.5%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$265/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Jose, CA → Rockford, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.8%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$265/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Rockford, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; San Jose, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Rockford, IL to San Jose, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Rockford, IL | San Jose, CA | Real change, Rockford → San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $77,161 | −6.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $93,358 | −6.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $111,896 | −6.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $133,060 | −6.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $157,236 | −6.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Rockford, IL | San Jose, CA | San Jose pay in Rockford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,200 | $102,860 | $85,842 (+33.7%) |
| Software Developers | $107,640 | $213,110 | $177,852 (+65.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,260 | $121,700 | $101,565 (+35.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,930 | $216,740 | $180,881 (+123.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.