City comparison
Rockford, IL vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Rockford, IL are 1.7% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $101,700 in Rockford, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $986 a month in Sioux Falls, SD versus $895 in Rockford, IL. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in Sioux Falls, SD and 14% in Rockford, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,805 a year higher in Rockford, IL than in Sioux Falls, SD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.5% moving from Rockford, IL to Sioux Falls, SD ($118,984 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.0% in real buying power.
- Rockford, IL: price level 92.2 (cheaper)
- Sioux Falls, SD: price level 90.6 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Rockford, IL | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,347 in Sioux Falls | $101,680 in Rockford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $895/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,120 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Rockford, IL MSA and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Rockford, IL and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Rockford | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.1 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 89.4 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Rockford, IL → Sioux Falls, SD
Roughly even
Buying power +1.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,805/yr.
74 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Rockford, IL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$4,805/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Rockford, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Sioux Falls, SD is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Rockford, IL to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Rockford, IL | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Rockford → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $61,722 | −9.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $74,678 | −9.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $89,508 | −9.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $106,437 | −9.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $125,776 | −9.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Rockford, IL | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Rockford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,200 | $50,040 | $50,881 (−20.7%) |
| Software Developers | $107,640 | $101,040 | $102,738 (−4.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,260 | $80,920 | $82,280 (+9.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,930 | $75,350 | $76,616 (−5.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.