Overall
- Williamsport
- 92.3
- Rockford
- 92.2
Diff -0.2 RPP
Williamsport vs Rockford
Cost of living comparison based on BEA Regional Price Parities. Rockford is 0.2% less expensive than Williamsport.
0.2% less expensive
Rockford, IL is 0.2% less expensive than Williamsport, PA on BEA Regional Price Parities (overall RPP 92.2 vs 92.3). A $100,000 salary in Williamsport buys about the same as $99,788 in Rockford; the largest component gap is services.
- Overall RPP 92.3 (Williamsport) vs 92.2 (Rockford)
- $100k in Williamsport ≈ $99,788 purchasing power in Rockford
- Services drives the gap (-18.1 RPP points)
RPP parity plate
Pair PA:IL 92.3→92.2
PHOTO-FINISH · CROSS-STATE · SPLIT-BUDGET · BOTH-BELOW · PP-PAR
- PHOTO-FINISH Photo finish
- CROSS-STATE PA × IL
- SPLIT-BUDGET Split budget
- BOTH-BELOW Both below 100
- PP-PAR PP near-par
Instrument codes from this pair's BEA Regional Price Parities (overall · goods · services · rents · national benchmark 100 · purchasing-power conversion), not a ranking or recommendation.
Williamsport
92.3
Cost Index
Rockford
92.2
Cost Index
What This Comparison Actually Tells You
Williamsport, PA and Rockford, IL are a photo finish on overall price level, only 0.2 RPP points apart. A salary conversion is therefore a fine adjustment, not evidence of a fundamentally different cost regime.
Services creates the largest separation: Rockford is 18.1 points lower. But rents move against the overall direction, so this is a split budget rather than a clean across-the-board winner.
Comparable population context is incomplete for this pair, so no market-scale explanation is inferred from the price indexes.
Both metros remain below the U.S. benchmark of 100. This comparison chooses between two below-average price levels; “more expensive” here does not mean nationally expensive.
For a service-heavy household, test childcare, health, and other locally supplied costs before relying on rent alone. The BEA ratio converts $100,000 in Williamsport to $99,788 in Rockford, but it is not a personal spending weight.
Category Breakdown
Goods
- Williamsport
- 100.7
- Rockford
- 93.6
Diff -7.0 RPP
Services
- Williamsport
- 107.5
- Rockford
- 89.4
Diff -18.1 RPP
Rents
- Williamsport
- 64.4
- Rockford
- 70.1
Diff +5.7 RPP
| Category | Williamsport | Rockford | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 92.3 | 92.2 | -0.2 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 93.6 | -7.0 |
| Services | 107.5 | 89.4 | -18.1 |
| Rents | 64.4 | 70.1 | +5.7 |
Visual Comparison
Overall
Williamsport 92.3
Rockford 92.2
Goods
Williamsport 100.7
Rockford 93.6
Services
Williamsport 107.5
Rockford 89.4
Rents
Williamsport 64.4
Rockford 70.1
Vertical line = national average (100)
Salary Equivalents
What a salary in Williamsport would need to be in Rockford for the same purchasing power:
| In Williamsport | In Rockford | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $49,894 | $-106 |
| $75,000 | $74,841 | $-159 |
| $100,000 | $99,788 | $-212 |
| $150,000 | $149,682 | $-318 |
$ in Williamsport = in Rockford
Same BEA Regional Price Parity ratio as the table above (92.3 → 92.2), computed live from your number, nothing is sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rockford more expensive than Williamsport?
Rockford is 0.2% less expensive than Williamsport. The overall cost index is 92.2 vs 92.3 (national average = 100).
What salary in Rockford equals $100K in Williamsport?
A $100,000 salary in Williamsport has the same purchasing power as $99,788 in Rockford. This is based on the BEA Regional Price Parity indexes.
How do rents compare between Williamsport and Rockford?
Rents in Williamsport are indexed at 64.4 while Rockford is at 70.1 (national average = 100). Rockford has higher rents.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.