City comparison
Rockford, IL vs Santa Maria, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Maria, CA are 18.1% higher than in Rockford, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Rockford, IL would need about $118,100 in Santa Maria, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,746 a month in Santa Maria, CA versus $895 in Rockford, IL. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 14% in Rockford, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $265 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Rockford, IL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.3% moving from Rockford, IL to Santa Maria, CA ($118,984 → $124,085), while prices change by +18.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.7% in real buying power.
- Rockford, IL: price level 92.2 (cheaper)
- Santa Maria, CA: price level 108.8 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Rockford, IL | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,061 in Santa Maria | $84,702 in Rockford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $895/mo | $2,746/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% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,120 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Rockford, IL MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Rockford, IL and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Rockford | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.1 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.4 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Rockford, IL → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.3%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$265/yr.
8 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Rockford, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.1%; 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; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Rockford, IL to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Rockford, IL | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Rockford → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $71,957 | −11.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $87,061 | −11.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $104,349 | −11.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $124,085 | −11.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $146,632 | −11.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Rockford, IL | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Rockford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,200 | $101,030 | $85,574 (+33.3%) |
| Software Developers | $107,640 | $158,290 | $134,075 (+24.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,260 | $91,610 | $77,595 (+3.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,930 | $137,360 | $116,347 (+43.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.