Rockford → Idaho Falls
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Rockford to Idaho Falls is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 92.2 to 94.4 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $130/mo.
- -$868
- BLS median salary lower in Idaho Falls
- 277 to 235
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 14:1 to 17.1:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $4,942
- DOL infant care lower / yr in Idaho Falls
BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.
Pros of Moving
- + More affordable childcare
Cons of Moving
- - $130/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 92.2 to 94.4 (ratio 1.02), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $130/mo ($1,560/yr) from $1,175 in Rockford to $1,305 in Idaho Falls.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Idaho Falls sits #178 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Rockford is #126/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $868 lower ($64,710 → $63,842). Labor-market size: 131,350 tracked jobs at origin vs 72,210 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: Illinois 58 (D, #31/51) vs Idaho 58 (D, #30/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.
State retirement friendliness
Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.
- Income tax
- 95
- Property tax
- 46
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 46
- Income tax
- 70
- Property tax
- 76
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 24
Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).
Salary Adjustment Calculator
Enter your current salary in Rockford to see what you'd need to earn in Idaho Falls to maintain the same purchasing power.
Idaho Falls metro profile · Livability rankings · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026