City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Rockford | Waukegan | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $906/mo | $1,132/mo | 20.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $114,100 | $164,400 | 30.6% lower in A |
| Median household income | $50,744 | $66,077 | 23.2% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 94.5 | 103.2 | 8.5% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 90.1 | 87.6 | 2.8% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 98.8 | 99.3 | 0.5% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.4 | 100.0 | 0.5% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Rockford, you'd need $113,236 in Waukegan to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Rockford, IL is about 11.7% cheaper overall than Waukegan, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 25% lower in Rockford than in Waukegan. If you earn $80,000 in Rockford, you'd need about $90,589 in Waukegan to keep the same standard of living.