Aurora, IL vs Rockford, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Rockford, IL spends 26% more per resident than Aurora, IL: $19,348 against $15,301. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Aurora, IL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 87/100 (grade A) against 59/100 (grade C) for Rockford, IL — a 28-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Rockford, IL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Aurora, IL carries $489 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Aurora, IL at $494 per resident and in Rockford, IL at $2,329.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 5% of total revenue in Aurora, IL and 100% in Rockford, IL.
Summary
Rockford spends 20.9% more per capita than Aurora ($4,047/person difference). Aurora, IL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 87/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $114 | $749 |
| Income Tax | $144 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,481 | $6,178 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,224 | $2,152 |
| Other | $1,114 | $2,314 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $216 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $922 | $724 |
| Health | $0 | $593 |
| Hospitals | $257 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $494 | $2,329 |
| Housing | $4,836 | $4,267 |
| Utilities | $2,366 | $1,320 |
| Other | $6,210 | $10,115 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.