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METRO AREA · 2000 CENSUS

Rockford Metro

Rockford, IL · 2 counties · 320,204 residents · 794 sq mi
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The short version

Rockford is home to 320,204 people. 19% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Owners hold 71% of the housing stock. The population is up 13% since 1990. Home values have risen by half since 1990, reaching $94,815. Poverty is uncommon here, at 9.3% of people across the metro.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $42,589
Mid-age
median age 35.7
US median: 35.2
Less educated
19% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
320,204
+13%since 1990
from 283,719 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Population density
403 / sq mi
+13%since 1990
from 357 / sq mi in 1990
Median age
35.7
+7%since 1990
from 33.5 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
794 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
277K297K317K336K356K19902000201020202024Rockford
2024337K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 57.2%(22,910)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 97.6%(24,390)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.7%(24,676)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 196.9%(22,224)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 245.7%(18,275)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3413.7%(43,988)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4416.1%(51,574)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5413.7%(43,790)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 648.9%(28,464)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 746.5%(20,756)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 844.5%(14,324)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.5%(4,833)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$44,997
+8%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $31,745 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$21,246
+47%since 1990
from $14,499 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
9.3%
−0.5 ptssince 1990
from 9.8% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$94,815
+18%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $60,747 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$516
+4%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $377 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
71.1%
+2.6 ptssince 1990
from 68.5% in 1990
28.9% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic88.7%(251,698)
Black8.2%(23,195)
Hispanic / Latino3.2%(9,020)
Asian1.2%(3,345)
2000
White, non-Hispanic80.1%(256,353)
Black9.2%(29,390)
Hispanic / Latino7.6%(24,425)
Asian1.5%(4,922)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

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

Hispanic origin
Mexican14%(46,946)
Puerto Rican1.1%(3,632)
Central American0.6%(2,170)
South American0.4%(1,450)
Salvadoran0.3%(1,089)
Cuban0.3%(875)
Spaniard0.2%(721)
Guatemalan0.2%(716)
Ecuadorian0.2%(613)
Dominican0.1%(413)
Colombian0.1%(357)
Honduran0.1%(295)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.1%(182)
Venezuelan0%(139)
Bolivian0%(115)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.5%(1,563)
Laotian0.4%(1,463)
Filipino0.4%(1,413)
Chinese0.4%(1,193)
Burmese0.2%(674)
Vietnamese0.2%(596)
Korean0.1%(453)
Pakistani0.1%(380)
Japanese0%(117)
Thai0%(88)
Mongolian0%(74)
Taiwanese0%(54)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(72)
Chamorro0%(36)
Fijian0%(15)
Ancestry
German22.3%(74,909)
Irish12%(40,254)
English8.9%(30,078)
Italian7%(23,454)
Swedish6.2%(20,798)
Polish4.2%(14,088)
American2.9%(9,629)
Norwegian2.8%(9,328)
Scottish1.5%(5,059)
Dutch1.2%(4,135)
French1.2%(4,006)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
Arab0.6%(1,950)
Danish0.5%(1,833)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(1,648)
Russian0.5%(1,530)
Czech0.4%(1,453)
Swiss0.4%(1,405)
Welsh0.4%(1,365)
French Canadian0.3%(1,130)
Lithuanian0.3%(1,042)
Greek0.3%(927)
Ukrainian0.2%(827)
West Indian0.2%(744)
Iraqi0.2%(707)
Nigerian0.2%(693)
British0.2%(628)
Serbian0.1%(500)
Finnish0.1%(482)
Hungarian0.1%(470)
Austrian0.1%(400)
Croatian0.1%(374)
Belgian0.1%(332)
Egyptian0.1%(326)
Jordanian0.1%(319)
Palestinian0.1%(306)
Portuguese0.1%(305)
Jamaican0.1%(299)
Slovak0.1%(273)
Haitian0.1%(210)
Canadian0.1%(206)
Brazilian0%(126)
Romanian0%(99)
Lebanese0%(98)
Ghanaian0%(98)
Armenian0%(79)
Syrian0.1%(71)
Ethiopian0%(68)
Moroccan0%(62)
Turkish0%(49)
Bulgarian0%(44)
Israeli0%(37)
Slovene0%(36)
Iranian0%(20)
Latvian0%(18)
Kenyan0%(15)
Barbadian0%(13)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
18.7%
+2.6 ptssince 1990
from 16.2% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
81.3%
+5.1 ptssince 1990
from 76.2% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
6.4%
+1.3 ptssince 1990
from 5.1% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
14.3 min
−19%since 1990
from 17.5 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married27.5%(32,981)
Married60.2%(72,335)
Widowed2.4%(2,843)
Divorced9.9%(11,915)
Women 15+
Never married21.8%(27,930)
Married56.7%(72,676)
Widowed9.8%(12,602)
Divorced11.6%(14,899)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
6.1%
−6.5 ptssince 2013
from 12.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
53.0%
−1.6 ptssince 2020
from 54.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
12.6%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 13.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
20.1%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 19.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
26.0%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 24.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.9%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 2.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
63.4%
−2.4 ptssince 2020
from 65.9% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
43.3%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 42.0% 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)20.5%(3,160)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)18%(2,777)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era38.1%(5,881)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.1%(792)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.7%(258)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 15,428 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
In this metro

Largest cities

RockfordCENTRAL147,384Belvidere25,462Loves Park23,712Machesney Park22,805Roscoe11,034South Beloit7,996Rockton7,870Candlewick Lake5,448Poplar Grove5,206Winnebago2,903Cherry Valley2,887Pecatonica2,052Westlake1,414Capron1,407Durand1,380Timberlane908New Milford808Garden Prairie403Argyle324Caledonia183
What's inside

2 component counties

Winnebago CountyCENTRAL283,674Boone CountyCENTRAL53,568
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Rockford

Clarksville
Pop 349,001
South Bend
Pop 324,538
Roanoke
Pop 316,547
Waco
Pop 308,807
Places similar to Rockford
Head to head

Compare Rockford side by side

ROCKFORD VS
Clarksville
Income$70,081+56%
Home value$250,970+165%
Population349,001+3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ROCKFORD VS
South Bend
Income$67,435+50%
Home value$196,800+108%
Population324,538−4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ROCKFORD VS
Roanoke
Income$70,385+56%
Home value$244,820+158%
Population316,547−6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ROCKFORD VS
Waco
Income$66,246+47%
Home value$233,362+146%
Population308,807−8%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Rockford, IL?

Rockford, IL has about 320,204 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Rockford, IL?

The typical household in Rockford, IL earns about $44,997 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Rockford, IL expensive?

In Rockford, IL, the median home is worth about $94,815, and the typical rent is about $516 a month.

How educated are people in Rockford, IL?

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

What is the poverty rate in Rockford, IL?

About 9.3% of people in Rockford, IL live below the federal poverty line.

Has Rockford, IL grown since 1990?

Yes, Rockford, IL has grown since 1990. The population has added about 36,485 residents, a change of about 13 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →