Census place 1765000

Rockford

A Census profile of the people, homes, and daily patterns that shape this place.

Official Census name: Rockford city

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in Rockford.

According to the 2025 estimate, Rockford has a population of 147,384 and 2,254 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 225 covered Illinois places are: median home value is $129,000, below the comparison median of $274,000; median household income is $54,752, below the comparison median of $90,282; and median gross rent is $985, below the comparison median of $1,347. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

median home value
$129,000
Below the comparison median of $274,000
median household income
$54,752
Below the comparison median of $90,282
median gross rent
$985
Below the comparison median of $1,347

National context

Follow the metrics.

Compare Rockford's values with other covered Census places. Rankings are descriptive, not recommendations.

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
147,384
2025 estimate
Annual change
+0.2%
Population estimate
Density
2,254/sq mi
65.4 sq mi land area
Median age
37.7 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

Households, homes, education, and the time it takes to get around.

Median household income
$54,752
Median home value
$129,000
Median gross rent
$985
Bachelor’s degree or higher
23.5%
Typical commute
21.9 min
Drive-alone commute
74.3%
Public transit commute
1%
Walked to work
1.3%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

Renter share and rent burden help describe the housing choices visible in this place.

Renter-occupied homes
45.1%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
53.7%

Work

How the workday lands.

Employment status and working-from-home share add context to income and commuting patterns.

Employed residents 16+
54.3%
Unemployed residents 16+
5%
Working from home
10.1%

Community

The everyday infrastructure.

Access, mobility, housing growth, and household composition add another layer to a place's day-to-day picture.

Households with broadband
86.6%
Homes built 2020+
0.1%
Households without a vehicle
12.7%
Households with children
27.4%
Residents with a disability
17.5%
Residents without insurance
7.2%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

FEMA declarations for Winnebago County provide historical context, not a forecast or a property-level risk assessment.

Environmental declarations since 2000
10
Snowstorm declarations
4
Severe Storm declarations
3
Flood declarations
2

Climate normals

The long view of weather.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Temperature and precipitation describe the typical conditions recorded from 1991 through 2020.

Representative station: ROCKFORD GTR ROCKFORD AP (4 mi from place center)
Average high
58.8°F
Average low
40°F
Annual rainfall
37.2"
Annual snowfall
37.1"

Month by month

A year in Rockford.

Typical high and low °F
0°F20°F40°F60°F80°F100°F
JFMAMJJASOND
Typical precipitation inches

Data vintage

Population is from the 2025 Population Estimates Program. Household, housing, education, and commute data are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year release. Disaster declarations are from FEMA's OpenFEMA dataset and are refreshed with this edition.

Similar places

More places to consider.

Selected by the closest mix of population, density, median home value, and average annual high.

South Bend, IN

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
103,201
Median home
$140,400

Lansing, MI

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
113,884
Median home
$128,700

Dayton, OH

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
136,688
Median home
$100,600

Keep exploring

Compare Rockford with South Bend