City comparison
Rockford, IL vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 8.9% higher than in Rockford, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Rockford, IL would need about $108,900 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,193 a month in Spokane, WA versus $895 in Rockford, IL. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 14% in Rockford, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,805 a year higher in Rockford, IL than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.1% moving from Rockford, IL to Spokane, WA ($118,984 → $106,991), while prices change by +8.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −17.4% in real buying power.
- Rockford, IL: price level 92.2 (cheaper)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Rockford, IL | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,889 in Spokane | $91,836 in Rockford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $895/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,120 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Rockford, IL MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Rockford, IL and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Rockford | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.1 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 89.4 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Rockford, IL → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,805/yr.
43 Weak offer
Spokane, WA → Rockford, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$4,805/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Rockford, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Rockford, IL to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Rockford, IL | Spokane, WA | Real change, Rockford → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $62,044 | −17.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $75,068 | −17.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $89,974 | −17.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $106,991 | −17.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $126,432 | −17.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Rockford, IL | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Rockford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,200 | $98,800 | $90,734 (+41.3%) |
| Software Developers | $107,640 | $130,690 | $120,021 (+11.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,260 | $86,350 | $79,301 (+5.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,930 | $111,750 | $102,627 (+26.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.