Rockford, IL vs Peoria, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Rockford, IL outspends Peoria, IL by a wide margin per resident — $19,348 versus $7,629, a 154% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Peoria, IL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 74/100 (grade B) against 59/100 (grade C) for Rockford, IL — a 15-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Rockford, IL leads with parks and recreation at $2,329 per resident, while Peoria, IL leads with police at $1,088.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Rockford, IL and 37% in Peoria, IL.
Summary
Rockford spends 153.6% more per capita than Peoria ($11,719/person difference). Peoria, IL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 74/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $749 | $20 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $18 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,178 | $1,954 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,152 | $0 |
| Other | $2,314 | $1,543 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,088 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $129 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $200 |
| Public Welfare | $724 | $1,314 |
| Health | $593 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,329 | $0 |
| Housing | $4,267 | $787 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $64 |
| Utilities | $1,320 | $171 |
| Other | $10,115 | $3,876 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.