City comparison
Rockford, IL vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in York, PA are 4.2% higher than in Rockford, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Rockford, IL would need about $104,200 in York, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,060 a month in York, PA versus $895 in Rockford, IL. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in York, PA and 14% in Rockford, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,735 a year higher in Rockford, IL than in York, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.4% moving from Rockford, IL to York, PA ($118,984 → $121,785), while prices change by +4.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.7% in real buying power.
- Rockford, IL: price level 92.2 (cheaper)
- York, PA: price level 96.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Rockford, IL | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,173 in York | $95,994 in Rockford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $895/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,120 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Rockford, IL MSA and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Rockford, IL and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Rockford | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.1 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 89.4 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Rockford, IL → York, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,735/yr.
56 Fair offer
York, PA → Rockford, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.2%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$1,735/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Rockford, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Rockford, IL to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Rockford, IL | York, PA | Real change, Rockford → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $70,623 | −1.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $85,447 | −1.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $102,415 | −1.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $121,785 | −1.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $143,913 | −1.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Rockford, IL | York, PA | York pay in Rockford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,200 | $79,730 | $76,536 (+19.2%) |
| Software Developers | $107,640 | $114,600 | $110,009 (+2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,260 | $75,160 | $72,149 (−4.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,930 | $96,210 | $92,356 (+14.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.