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CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Rockford

Illinois · 139,426 residents · 65.1 sq mi
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The short version

Rockford is a city of 139,426 people in Illinois. Median home value sits at $55,600. The average commute runs 16 minutes. Headcount has barely moved since 2000. 19% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Median household income is $28,282, close to the national figure.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 33.2
US median: 33.0
Average education
19% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 8%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

139,426
−7%vs 2000
vs 150,115 in 2000
1990 – 2025
33.2
−4%vs 2000
vs 34.4 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
65.1 sq mi
Population, 19902024
138K143K148K154K159K19902000201020202024Rockford
2024148K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 58.1%(11,329)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 97.4%(10,377)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 146.4%(8,927)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 196.7%(9,385)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 246.9%(9,666)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3417.6%(24,583)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4414.4%(20,079)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 549.2%(12,796)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 648.4%(11,711)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 748.2%(11,463)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 844.7%(6,561)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.8%(2,549)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$28,282
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $37,667 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
$14,109
−29%vs 2000
vs $19,781 in 2000
US average: $14,340
13.4%
−0.6 ptsvs 2000
vs 14.0% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

$55,600
−8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $79,400 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
$367
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $498 in 2000
US average: $450
59.6%
−1.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 61.1% in 2000
40.4% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic68.4%(102,678)
Black17.2%(25,822)
Hispanic / Latino10.2%(15,278)
Asian2.2%(3,256)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic81.1%(113,018)
Black14.8%(20,697)
Hispanic / Latino3.7%(5,210)
Asian1.7%(2,429)
Other2.4%(3,282)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican17%(25,132)
Puerto Rican1.4%(2,018)
Central American1.1%(1,671)
Salvadoran0.7%(977)
Cuban0.4%(585)
Guatemalan0.3%(407)
Ecuadorian0.3%(396)
Spaniard0.2%(265)
Colombian0.2%(252)
Dominican0.2%(250)
Honduran0.2%(234)
+ 6 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Laotian0.9%(1,260)
Asian Indian0.7%(1,093)
Burmese0.5%(674)
Chinese0.4%(604)
Filipino0.4%(563)
Vietnamese0.2%(278)
Korean0.1%(204)
Pakistani0.1%(122)
Thai0%(70)
Japanese0%(39)
Taiwanese0%(17)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Mongolian0%(11)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(25)
Fijian0%(15)
Ancestry
German16.8%(24,839)
Irish9.7%(14,253)
English6.6%(9,733)
Italian5.6%(8,235)
Swedish5.1%(7,475)
Polish3.5%(5,198)
Norwegian2.3%(3,417)
American2.2%(3,303)
Scottish1.3%(1,849)
French1%(1,458)
Arab1%(1,448)
+ 43 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch0.9%(1,341)
Danish0.6%(956)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(868)
Russian0.5%(749)
Iraqi0.5%(707)
Nigerian0.4%(614)
Swiss0.3%(481)
Czech0.3%(473)
Lithuanian0.3%(403)
Welsh0.3%(387)
West Indian0.3%(379)
Greek0.2%(307)
Jordanian0.2%(287)
Egyptian0.2%(273)
Hungarian0.2%(273)
Ukrainian0.1%(215)
Croatian0.1%(184)
British0.1%(174)
Serbian0.1%(171)
Portuguese0.1%(169)
Finnish0.1%(133)
Slovak0.1%(118)
Jamaican0.1%(117)
Brazilian0.1%(109)
Ghanaian0.1%(76)
Belgian0%(71)
Austrian0%(69)
Canadian0%(68)
Ethiopian0%(68)
Haitian0%(52)
Romanian0%(50)
Lebanese0%(44)
Moroccan0%(38)
Israeli0%(30)
Iranian0%(20)
Slovene0%(20)
Kenyan0%(14)
Turkish0%(11)
Armenian0%(10)
Section 05

Education

18.7%
−1.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 19.8% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
74.8%
−3.0 ptsvs 2000
vs 77.8% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
6.0%
−1.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 7.1% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

15.6 min
+19%vs 2000
vs 13.1 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married42.6%(24,091)
Married41.9%(23,687)
Widowed3.5%(1,986)
Divorced11.9%(6,751)
Women 15+
Never married37.3%(22,999)
Married38.1%(23,499)
Widowed10.2%(6,275)
Divorced14.4%(8,845)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

7.2%
−7.6 ptssince 2013
from 14.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
43.0%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 43.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
10.5%
−1.9 ptssince 2020
from 12.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
20.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 20.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
36.2%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 34.8% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.8%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 2.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
52.3%
−2.2 ptssince 2020
from 54.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
52.7%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 52.1% 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)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
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Rockford, Illinois?

Rockford, Illinois has about 139,426 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Rockford, Illinois?

The typical household in Rockford, Illinois earns about $28,282 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Rockford, Illinois expensive?

In Rockford, Illinois, the median home is worth about $55,600, and the typical rent is about $367 a month.

How educated are people in Rockford, Illinois?

About 18.7% of adults age 25 and over in Rockford, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Rockford, Illinois?

About 13.4% of people in Rockford, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →