City comparison
Rockford, IL vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Antonio, TX are 2.8% higher than in Rockford, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Rockford, IL would need about $102,800 in San Antonio, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX versus $895 in Rockford, IL. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 14% in Rockford, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,805 a year higher in Rockford, IL than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Rockford, IL to San Antonio, TX ($118,984 → $108,001), while prices change by +2.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.7% in real buying power.
- Rockford, IL: price level 92.2 (cheaper)
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Rockford, IL | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,780 in San Antonio | $97,295 in Rockford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $895/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,120 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Rockford, IL MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Rockford, IL and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Rockford | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.1 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 89.4 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Rockford, IL → San Antonio, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,805/yr.
60 Fair offer
San Antonio, TX → Rockford, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$4,805/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Rockford, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Rockford, IL to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Rockford, IL | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Rockford → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $62,629 | −11.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $75,776 | −11.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $90,823 | −11.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $108,001 | −11.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $127,624 | −11.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Rockford, IL | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Rockford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,200 | $61,720 | $60,051 (−6.5%) |
| Software Developers | $107,640 | $128,430 | $124,956 (+16.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,260 | $78,650 | $76,523 (+1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,930 | $94,370 | $91,817 (+13.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.