City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Rockford, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 6.6% higher than in Rockford, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Rockford, IL would need about $106,600 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA versus $895 in Rockford, IL. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, 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 Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.6% moving from Lancaster, PA to Rockford, IL ($108,592 → $118,984), while prices change by −6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +16.8% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (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
| Lancaster, PA | Rockford, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 92.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,789 in Rockford | $106,623 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $895/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $47,120 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Rockford, IL MSA. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Rockford, IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Rockford |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 70.1 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 89.4 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 92.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Rockford, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$1,735/yr.
89 Strong offer
Rockford, IL → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,735/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Rockford, IL is in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Rockford, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Rockford, IL | Real change, Lancaster → Rockford |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $68,999 | +16.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $83,482 | +16.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $100,059 | +16.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $118,984 | +16.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $140,604 | +16.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Rockford, IL | Rockford pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $64,200 | $68,452 (−12.6%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $107,640 | $114,769 (+9.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $75,260 | $80,244 (+5.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $80,930 | $86,290 (−3.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.