Rockford, IL vs Aurora, 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 Rockford, IL at $2,329 per resident and in Aurora, IL at $494.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Rockford, IL and 5% in Aurora, IL.
Summary
Rockford spends 26.5% 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 | $749 | $114 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $144 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,178 | $2,481 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,152 | $2,224 |
| Other | $2,314 | $1,114 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $216 |
| Public Welfare | $724 | $922 |
| Health | $593 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $257 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,329 | $494 |
| Housing | $4,267 | $4,836 |
| Utilities | $1,320 | $2,366 |
| Other | $10,115 | $6,210 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.