Rockford, IL vs Chicago, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL outspends Rockford, IL by a wide margin per resident — $34,551 versus $19,348, a 79% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Chicago, IL edges Rockford, IL on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 61/100 (grade C) to 59/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Rockford, IL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Chicago, IL carries $977 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Rockford, IL leads with parks and recreation at $2,329 per resident, while Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Rockford, IL and 100% in Chicago, IL.
Summary
Chicago spends 44.0% more per capita than Rockford ($15,203/person difference). Chicago, IL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 61/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $26 |
| Sales Tax | $749 | $74 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $229 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,178 | $85,083 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,152 | $2,847 |
| Other | $2,314 | $3,463 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $10,754 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $930 |
| Public Welfare | $724 | $1,858 |
| Health | $593 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,444 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,329 | $122 |
| Housing | $4,267 | $6,520 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $129 |
| Utilities | $1,320 | $2,983 |
| Other | $10,115 | $9,385 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.