Rockford is a city of 147,521 people in Illinois. Home values have risen by half since 2000, reaching $129,000. 23% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. Households here earn about 34% less than in Illinois as a whole. Owners hold 55% of the housing stock. The poverty rate is 21.3%, above the 12.5% national rate.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $54,752, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 37.7
US median: 38.9
Less educated
23% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
More affordable
home values down 11%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Rockford
What changed most since 1990
White share79.4% → 49.6%(−29.8 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree18.7% → 23.5%(+4.7 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Poverty rate13.4% → 21.3%(+8.0 pts)US over the same years: −0.8 pts
Rockford's population equals 52% of Winnebago County's. Its number of households without a car equals 78% of the county's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 74% of the county's.
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)17.7%(1,112)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)15.2%(955)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era35.3%(2,214)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War8.4%(528)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.3%(143)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 6,277 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
Over time
Rockford, decade by decade
Rockford population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
139,426
$67,879
$133,444
18.7%
43.3
2000
150,115
$68,616
$144,639
19.8%
61.4
2010
152,871
$55,490
$156,948
20.6%
74.0
2020
148,655
$54,264
$115,386
22.3%
83.7
2024
147,521
$54,752
$129,000
23.5%
83.2
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
