City comparison
Rockford, IL vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in St. Louis, MO are 3.2% higher than in Rockford, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Rockford, IL would need about $103,200 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $995 a month in St. Louis, MO versus $895 in Rockford, IL. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in St. Louis, MO and 14% in Rockford, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,043 a year higher in Rockford, IL than in St. Louis, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.3% moving from Rockford, IL to St. Louis, MO ($118,984 → $109,137), while prices change by +3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.1% in real buying power.
- Rockford, IL: price level 92.2 (cheaper)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Rockford, IL | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,184 in St. Louis | $96,914 in Rockford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $895/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,120 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Rockford, IL MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Rockford, IL and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Rockford | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.1 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 89.4 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Rockford, IL → St. Louis, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,043/yr.
59 Fair offer
St. Louis, MO → Rockford, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$1,043/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Rockford, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Rockford, IL to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Rockford, IL | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Rockford → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $63,288 | −11.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $76,573 | −11.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $91,779 | −11.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $109,137 | −11.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $128,967 | −11.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Rockford, IL | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Rockford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,200 | $60,650 | $58,779 (−8.4%) |
| Software Developers | $107,640 | $129,030 | $125,049 (+16.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,260 | $78,880 | $76,446 (+1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,930 | $83,180 | $80,613 (−0.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.