City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Rockford, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 9.3% higher than in Rockford, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Rockford, IL would need about $109,300 in Colorado Springs, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,464 a month in Colorado Springs, CO versus $895 in Rockford, IL. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 14% in Rockford, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,114 a year higher in Rockford, IL than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.9% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Rockford, IL ($109,246 → $118,984), while prices change by −8.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +19.0% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Rockford, IL: price level 92.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Rockford, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 92.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,507 in Rockford | $109,281 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $895/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $47,120 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Rockford, IL MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Rockford, IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Rockford |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 70.1 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 89.4 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 92.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Rockford, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.3%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$1,114/yr.
98 Strong offer
Rockford, IL → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,114/yr.
42 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Rockford, IL is in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Rockford, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Rockford, IL | Real change, Colorado Springs → Rockford |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $68,999 | +19.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $83,482 | +19.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $100,059 | +19.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $118,984 | +19.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $140,604 | +19.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Rockford, IL | Rockford pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $64,200 | $70,159 (+14.8%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $107,640 | $117,630 (−12.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $75,260 | $82,245 (−3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $80,930 | $88,441 (−8.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.