City comparison
Rockford, IL vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 20.4% higher than in Rockford, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Rockford, IL would need about $120,400 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $895 in Rockford, IL. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 14% in Rockford, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,265 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Rockford, IL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.6% moving from Rockford, IL to Urban Honolulu, HI ($118,984 → $111,119), while prices change by +20.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −22.4% in real buying power.
- Rockford, IL: price level 92.2 (cheaper)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Rockford, IL | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $120,408 in Urban Honolulu | $83,051 in Rockford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $895/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,120 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Rockford, IL MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Rockford, IL and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Rockford | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.1 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 89.4 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Rockford, IL → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.9%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,265/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Rockford, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.4%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,265/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Rockford, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Rockford, IL to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Rockford, IL | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Rockford → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $64,438 | −22.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $77,964 | −22.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $93,445 | −22.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $111,119 | −22.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $131,310 | −22.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Rockford, IL | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Rockford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,200 | $73,080 | $60,694 (−5.5%) |
| Software Developers | $107,640 | $120,230 | $99,852 (−7.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,260 | $74,990 | $62,280 (−17.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,930 | $139,260 | $115,657 (+42.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.