City comparison
Rockford, IL vs Scranton, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Scranton, PA are 1.5% higher than in Rockford, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Rockford, IL would need about $101,500 in Scranton, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,028 a month in Scranton, PA versus $895 in Rockford, IL. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Scranton, 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 Scranton, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.5% moving from Rockford, IL to Scranton, PA ($118,984 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.9% in real buying power.
- Rockford, IL: price level 92.2 (cheaper)
- Scranton, PA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Rockford, IL | Scranton, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,521 in Scranton | $98,501 in Rockford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $895/mo | $1,028/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% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,120 | $46,330 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Rockford, IL MSA and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA. Metro areas: Rockford, IL and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Rockford | Scranton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.1 | 67.0 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 89.4 | 106.5 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Rockford, IL → Scranton, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,735/yr.
64 Fair offer
Scranton, PA → Rockford, IL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$1,735/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Rockford, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Scranton, PA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Rockford, IL to Scranton, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Rockford, IL | Scranton, PA | Real change, Rockford → Scranton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $61,722 | −11.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $74,678 | −11.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $89,508 | −11.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $106,437 | −11.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $125,776 | −11.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Rockford, IL | Scranton, PA | Scranton pay in Rockford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,200 | $76,590 | $75,442 (+17.5%) |
| Software Developers | $107,640 | $119,960 | $118,162 (+9.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,260 | $70,480 | $69,424 (−7.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,930 | $82,650 | $81,411 (+0.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.