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CITY · 2020 ACS

Rockford

Illinois · 148,655 residents · 65.1 sq mi
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The short version

Rockford is a city of 148,655 people in Illinois. Median home value sits at $95,200. Households here earn about 35% less than in Illinois as a whole. 22% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. 53% of homes are owner-occupied. The poverty rate is 21.8%, above the 12.8% national rate.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 37.1
US median: 38.8
Less educated
22% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
More affordable
home values down 20%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

148,655
−1%since 2000
from 150,115 in 2000
1990 – 2025
37.1
+8%since 2000
from 34.4 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
65.1 sq mi
Population, 19902024
138K143K148K154K159K19902000201020202024Rockford
2024148K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 56.6%(9,871)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.8%(10,047)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 147%(10,393)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.7%(9,917)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.6%(9,877)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3413.6%(20,215)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4412%(17,795)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5411.6%(17,228)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6412.3%(18,342)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 749.3%(13,872)
US avg: 10%
75 to 845%(7,426)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.5%(3,672)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$44,771
−21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $37,667 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
$26,500
+34%since 2000
from $19,781 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
26.3%
+5.4 ptssince 2009
from 20.9% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
21.8%
+7.8 ptssince 2000
from 14.0% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Retail trade22.2%
US avg: 10%
Information12%
US avg: 11.1%
Finance & insurance6.2%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical5.6%
US avg: 4.7%
Wholesale trade4.7%
US avg: 6.7%
Other services3.2%
US avg: 6.6%
Public administration2.3%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
US avg: 2%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.3%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

$95,200
−20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $79,400 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
$784
+5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $498 in 2000
US average: $1,124
52.8%
−8.3 ptssince 2000
from 61.1% in 2000
47.2% rent
2.32 people
−8%since 2009
from 2.51 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
2.1
−23%since 2009
from 2.8 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic48.7%(72,440)
Black22.5%(33,466)
Hispanic / Latino19.9%(29,583)
Asian3.5%(5,145)
Other3.7%(5,495)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican15.5%(22,904)
Puerto Rican1%(1,495)
Cuban0.3%(513)
Spaniard0.3%(512)
Guatemalan0.2%(332)
Honduran0.1%(151)
Colombian0.1%(120)
Salvadoran0.1%(107)
Chilean0%(65)
+ 4 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0%(35)
Argentine0%(25)
Dominican0%(21)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.7%(1,070)
Laotian0.5%(713)
Filipino0.5%(688)
Burmese0.3%(488)
Chinese0.3%(473)
Pakistani0.2%(349)
Vietnamese0.2%(306)
Korean0.2%(256)
Thai0.1%(171)
Mongolian0.1%(141)
Japanese0.1%(108)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
German16.8%(24,791)
Irish9%(13,249)
Swedish6.8%(9,964)
Italian6.6%(9,733)
English5.7%(8,400)
Polish2.9%(4,273)
Norwegian2.4%(3,484)
American2.3%(3,415)
French1.5%(2,162)
Scottish1.2%(1,843)
Dutch1.2%(1,827)
+ 45 more ancestry groups with data
Danish0.6%(824)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(800)
Iraqi0.5%(758)
Arab0.4%(641)
British0.4%(577)
Welsh0.4%(577)
Russian0.3%(448)
Czech0.3%(422)
Swiss0.3%(383)
Greek0.2%(354)
Lithuanian0.2%(350)
West Indian0.2%(346)
Nigerian0.2%(327)
Jordanian0.2%(309)
Egyptian0.2%(283)
Ukrainian0.1%(215)
Slovak0.1%(201)
Belgian0.1%(197)
Haitian0.1%(168)
Kenyan0.1%(157)
Romanian0.1%(155)
Hungarian0.1%(151)
Lebanese0.1%(140)
Finnish0.1%(140)
Armenian0.1%(123)
Austrian0.1%(119)
Brazilian0.1%(117)
Jamaican0.1%(113)
Croatian0.1%(100)
Iranian0.1%(99)
Serbian0.1%(94)
Moroccan0.1%(88)
Latvian0%(62)
Canadian0%(57)
Barbadian0%(31)
Turkish0%(26)
Bulgarian0%(23)
Syrian0%(22)
Slovene0%(19)
Ghanaian0%(13)
Israeli0%(10)
Section 05

Education

22.3%
+2.5 ptssince 2000
from 19.8% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
83.9%
+6.2 ptssince 2000
from 77.8% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
8.3%
+1.2 ptssince 2000
from 7.1% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

21.8 min
+67%since 2000
from 13.1 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
78.3%
−3.7 ptssince 2009
from 82.1% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
12.8%
+2.0 ptssince 2009
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

9.6%
−3.8 ptssince 2011
from 13.4% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
60.6%
−1.3 ptssince 2011
from 61.9% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
71.5%
US average: 73.3%
27.0%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 27.3% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

48.4%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 48.4% in 2009
51.6%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 51.6% in 2009
12.6%
+2.5 ptssince 2009
from 10.1% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
7.0%
−7.8 ptssince 2013
from 14.8% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
88.5%
US average: 91.9%
83.7%
US average: 86.2%
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

7.0%
−7.8 ptssince 2013
from 14.8% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
43.8%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
12.4%
US average: 13.7%
20.7%
US average: 17.6%
34.8%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
2.1%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
54.5%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
52.1%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)10.8%(854)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)12.6%(997)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era36.4%(2,879)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War10.9%(860)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II7.4%(586)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 7,900 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 148,655 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Rockford, Illinois?

The typical household in Rockford, Illinois earns about $44,771 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 $95,200, and the typical rent is about $784 a month.

How educated are people in Rockford, Illinois?

About 22.3% 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 21.8% of people in Rockford, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.

Has Rockford, Illinois grown since 1990?

Yes, Rockford, Illinois has grown since 1990. The population has added about 9,229 residents, a change of about 7 percent over that period.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →