United States › Illinois › Rock Island CITY
Rock Island Illinois · 36,225 residents (2025 est.) · 16.9 sq mi
Time machine
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The short version
Rock Island is a city of 36,151 people in Illinois. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $125,900. 25% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. That trails the Illinois median by roughly 29%. The poverty rate is 21.0%, above the 12.5% national rate. Density works out to 2,143 people per square mile.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 37.4
US median: 38.9
Less educated
25% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 39,684 in 2000
36,225 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
2,143 / sq mi
−5%since 2009
from 2,259 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 36.4 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
36K 37K 38K 40K 41K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Rock Island Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $59,041
−7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $34,729 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $19,202 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 21.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 14.5% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.458 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 5.6%
Public administration 2.5%
Transportation & warehousing 2.3%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.5%
Education & health services 0.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$125,900
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $69,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$842
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $437 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 65.1% in 2000
35.2% rent
from 9.5% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.30 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 23.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 46.0% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.4 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 74.3%(29,485)
Hispanic / Latino 5.9%(2,341)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 62.5%(22,602)
Hispanic / Latino 13.3%(4,806)
from 58 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Hispanic origin
+ 1 more hispanic origin group with data Ancestry
+ 36 more ancestry groups with data from 18.7% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 82.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 6.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 11.3 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 79.9% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 7.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 2.9% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 2.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 6.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 12.7% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 8.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 63.1% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 74.1% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 13.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 30.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 5.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 11.0% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 13.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 11.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 73.1% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 89.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 81.4% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 89.2% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 5.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 46.5%(6,848)
Women 15+
Never married 39.1%(6,022)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 11.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 54.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 11.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 18.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 27.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 2.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 63.2% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 44.1% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 22.9%(404)
Gulf War (1990s) 15.7%(278)
Share of the 1,768 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper
Places similar to Rock Island Head to head
Compare Rock Island to nearby cities ROCK ISLAND VS
Moline
Income $67,701 +15%
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ROCK ISLAND VS
Davenport
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ROCK ISLAND VS
Bettendorf
Income $100,495 +70%
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ROCK ISLAND VS
East Moline
Income $61,779 +5%
Home value $134,600 +7%
Population 20,453 −44%
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Rock Island, Illinois? Rock Island, Illinois has about 36,151 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Rock Island, Illinois? The typical household in Rock Island, Illinois earns about $59,041 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Rock Island, Illinois expensive? In Rock Island, Illinois, the median home is worth about $125,900, and the typical rent is about $842 a month.
How educated are people in Rock Island, Illinois? About 24.5% of adults age 25 and over in Rock Island, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Rock Island, Illinois? About 21.0% of people in Rock Island, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.
Has Rock Island, Illinois grown since 1990? Yes, Rock Island, Illinois has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 4,310 residents, a change of about -11 percent over that period.
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