City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Rockford, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 23.2% higher than in Rockford, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Rockford, IL would need about $123,200 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $895 in Rockford, IL. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 14% in Rockford, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $265 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Rockford, IL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.1% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Rockford, IL ($124,085 → $118,984), while prices change by −18.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +18.2% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
- 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
| Los Angeles, CA | Rockford, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 92.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $81,146 in Rockford | $123,235 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $895/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $47,120 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Rockford, IL MSA. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Rockford, IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Rockford |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 70.1 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 89.4 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 92.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Rockford, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +23.2%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$265/yr.
100 Strong offer
Rockford, IL → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.9%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$265/yr.
24 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Rockford, IL is in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Rockford, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Rockford, IL | Real change, Los Angeles → Rockford |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $68,999 | +18.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $83,482 | +18.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $100,059 | +18.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $118,984 | +18.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $140,604 | +18.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Rockford, IL | Rockford pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $64,200 | $79,117 (−22.3%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $107,640 | $132,650 (−17.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $75,260 | $92,747 (−1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $80,930 | $99,734 (−26.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.