Housing and tax tradeoff: Rockford, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois comes out ahead here on rent burden and rent. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
Demand-Backed Comparison
Compare Rockford vs Aurora on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
People have logged this comparison 5 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.
RockfordAurora
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: Rockford, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on affordability, weaker on safety.
Potential dealbreaker: Rockford, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on tax burden.
Comparison Matrix
| City | ||
|---|---|---|
| Route | ||
| General Info | ||
| Population | 148,173 | 181,405 |
| Center Elevation | 715 ft(218 m) | 679 ft(207 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $169,916 | $306,654 |
| Median Rent | $1,165 | $2,195 |
| Median Income | $50,744 | $85,943 |
| Rent Burden | 28% | 31% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 284 days/yr | 277 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 60°F | 60°F |
| Avg. Low | 42°F | 43°F |
| Comfort Score | 45/100Mixed | 46/100Mixed |
| Temp Swing | 53°F | 51°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 35"(89 cm) | 42"(107 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 33"(84 cm) | 28"(71 cm) |
| Air Quality | Typical: 402024 modeled avg · 1 days > 100 | Typical: 412024 modeled avg · 6 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Transit Score | N/A | 40 |
| Safety Score | 39 / 100 | 92 / 100 |
| School Rating | 6.2/10 | 7.8/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal Risk | minimalMinimal Risk |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 0%Cable: 97% | Fiber: 25%Cable: 99% |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 37.5 years | 35.4 years |
| College Educated | 23% | 35% |
| Remote Workers | 7% | 12% |
| Nature Access | ||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | ||
Housing and local helpA practical next step once someone starts picturing the move. | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Rockford. One featured slot per city | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Aurora. One featured slot per city |
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