Springfield, IL vs Rockford, 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: Springfield, IL leads with highways and roads at $1,079 per resident, while Rockford, IL leads with parks and recreation at $2,329.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 17% of total revenue in Springfield, IL and 100% in Rockford, IL.
Summary
Rockford spends 18.5% 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 | $26 | $749 |
| Intergovernmental | $18,701 | $6,178 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,314 | $2,152 |
| Other | $1,274 | $2,314 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Highways & Roads | $1,079 | $0 |
| Education | $106 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,275 | $724 |
| Health | $388 | $593 |
| Parks & Recreation | $325 | $2,329 |
| Housing | $0 | $4,267 |
| Utilities | $1,570 | $1,320 |
| Other | $11,028 | $10,115 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.