Naperville vs Rockford
The short version
- Rockford is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 11% lower than in the Naperville area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $129,000 in Rockford and $540,200 in Naperville.
- Households earn more in Naperville ($155,105 vs $54,752 median).
- Rockford gets far more snow: 37 inches a year vs 24.
- Naperville is growing faster: +2.4% since 2020 vs -1.1%.
- Commutes are shorter in Rockford (22 vs 31 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Naperville, IL | Rockford, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 153,114 | 147,384 |
| Growth since 2020 | +2.4% | -1.1% |
| People per square mile | 3,891 | 2,257 |
| Median age | 40.4 | 37.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 73% | 24% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $155,105 | $54,752 |
| Median home value | $540,200 | $129,000 |
| Home value to income | 3.5× | 2.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,885 | $985 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 103.6 | 92.2 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 112.0 | 70.1 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $77,700 | $69,100 |
| Homeowners | 75% | 55% |
| Top state income tax | 4.95% | 4.95% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.98% | 8.98% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 30.5 | 21.9 |
| Work from home | 31% | 10% |
| Take public transit | 5% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.5% | 8.5% |
| Poverty rate | 4.4% | 21.3% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 33° / 17° | 29° / 15° |
| July high / low | 86° / 63° | 84° / 64° |
| Precipitation per year | 40 in | 37 in |
| Snowfall per year | 24 in | 37 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 29 | 15 |
| Nights below freezing | 128 | 136 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 97.6 | 92.4 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 30% | 69% |
| Home prices, past year | +6.2% | +8.1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +45.5% | +63.8% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Naperville: May and July to October. Rockford: May and July to September.
Full monthly tables: Naperville weather by month and Rockford weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $77,700 in Naperville and $69,100 in Rockford. Moving from Naperville to Rockford, you would need about $66,700 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Naperville and Rockford
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Naperville and Rockford.
Which would you pick?
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