City comparison
Rockford, IL vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Rockford, IL are 3.3% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $103,300 in Rockford, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $987 a month in Tulsa, OK versus $895 in Rockford, IL. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Tulsa, OK and 14% in Rockford, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $851 a year higher in Rockford, IL than in Tulsa, OK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.5% moving from Rockford, IL to Tulsa, OK ($118,984 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.6% in real buying power.
- Rockford, IL: price level 92.2 (cheaper)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Rockford, IL | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,810 in Tulsa | $103,295 in Rockford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $895/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,120 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Rockford, IL MSA and Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Rockford, IL and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Rockford | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.1 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 89.4 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Rockford, IL → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$851/yr.
79 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → Rockford, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$851/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Rockford, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Tulsa, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Rockford, IL to Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Rockford, IL | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Rockford → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $61,722 | −7.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $74,678 | −7.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $89,508 | −7.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $106,437 | −7.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $125,776 | −7.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Rockford, IL | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Rockford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,200 | $48,220 | $49,809 (−22.4%) |
| Software Developers | $107,640 | $108,730 | $112,313 (+4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,260 | $81,320 | $84,000 (+11.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,930 | $84,790 | $87,584 (+8.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.