Rockford, IL vs Springfield, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Rockford, IL spends 23% more per resident than Springfield, IL: $19,348 against $15,771. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Springfield, IL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 68/100 (grade B) against 59/100 (grade C) for Rockford, IL — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Rockford, IL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Springfield, IL carries $2,441 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 Springfield, IL leads with highways and roads at $1,079.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Rockford, IL and 17% in Springfield, IL.
Summary
Rockford spends 22.7% more per capita than Springfield ($3,578/person difference). Springfield, IL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 68/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $749 | $26 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,178 | $18,701 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,152 | $2,314 |
| Other | $2,314 | $1,274 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $1,079 |
| Education | $0 | $106 |
| Public Welfare | $724 | $1,275 |
| Health | $593 | $388 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,329 | $325 |
| Housing | $4,267 | $0 |
| Utilities | $1,320 | $1,570 |
| Other | $10,115 | $11,028 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.