Rockford, IL

Census Place

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2024 Population

147,521

US Senator

Dick Durbin

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tammy Duckworth

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

37.7

0.533% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

21.3%

2.53% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$54,752

2.67% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$129,000

6.7% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

63,139

0.341% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Rockford, IL reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

93% of the residents in Rockford, IL are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Rockford, IL are Rock Valley College (1,555 degrees awarded in 2024), Rasmussen University-Illinois (934 degrees), and Stautzenberger College-Rockford Career College (534 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Rockford, IL was $129,000, and the homeownership rate was 54.9%.

Most people in Rockford, IL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Rockford, IL was 2 cars per household.

About the photo: Rockford, IL

Photo by jimflix!

United States Illinois Ogle County, IL Winnebago County, IL Rochelle, IL Rockford, IL Winnebago (Northeast) & Boone Counties PUMA, IL DeKalb & Ogle Counties PUMA, IL Winnebago County (Southeast & West)--Rockford City PUMA, IL

Population & Diversity

Rockford, IL is home to a population of 148k people, from which 93% are citizens. As of 2024, 12.2% of Rockford, IL residents were born outside of the country (17.9k people).

In 2024, there were 2.59 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (73.1k people) in Rockford, IL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 28.3k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 13k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

93%

2024 Citizenship

93.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 93% of Rockford, IL residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Rockford, IL was 93.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Rockford, IL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Rockford, IL

White (Non-Hispanic)
73.1k ± 1.56k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
28.3k ± 1.3k
Other (Hispanic)
13k ± 1.38k

21.6%

Hispanic Population

31.8k people

21.6% of the people in Rockford, IL are hispanic (31.8k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Rockford, IL as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Illinois.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
637,284 ± 19,101 people
India
166,788 ± 9,961 people
Poland
117,148 ± 8,364 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Illinois was Mexico, the natal country of 637,284 Illinois residents, followed by India with 166,788 and Poland with 117,148.

Foreign-Born Population

12.2%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

17.9k people

11.8%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

17.4k people

As of 2024, 12.2% of Rockford, IL residents (17.9k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Rockford, IL was 11.8%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Rockford, IL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
2,103 ± 315
Gulf War (2001-)
1,112 ± 252
Gulf War (1990s)
724 ± 243

Rockford, IL has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.89 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Rockford, IL.

Health

92.8% of the population of Rockford, IL has health coverage, with 35.8% on employee plans, 31.9% on Medicaid, 14% on Medicare, 10.1% on non-group plans, and 1.07% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Illinois see 1,264 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,264 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1189 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 297 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.4% were men and 51.6% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.9% under 18 years, 21.2% between 18 and 34 years, 35.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.4% were men and 51.6% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

7.25%

Uninsured

35.8%

Employer Coverage

31.9%

Medicaid

14%

Medicare

10.1%

Non-Group

1.07%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Rockford, IL grew by 3.26% from 7.02% to 7.25%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Rockford, IL changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Economy

The economy of Rockford, IL employs 63.1k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Rockford, IL were Manufacturing (11,581 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (9,755 people), and Retail Trade (8,097 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($91,806), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($68,229), and Public Administration ($65,900).

Employment

Occupations

63.1k

2024 Value

± 1,975

−0.341%

1 Year decline

± 4.44%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Rockford, IL declined at a rate of −0.341%, from 63.4k employees to 63.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Rockford, IL, are Production Occupations (7,586 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (6,669 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (6,098 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Rockford, IL.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Illinois.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Illinois (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

63.1k

2024 Value

± 1,975

−0.341%

1 Year decline

± 4.44%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Rockford, IL declined at a rate of −0.341%, from 63.4k employees to 63.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Rockford, IL, are Manufacturing (11,581 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (9,755 people), and Retail Trade (8,097 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Rockford, IL, though some of these residents may live in Rockford, IL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$43,399

Median earning men ± $2,001

$34,367

Median earning women ± $1,487

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($80,000), Wholesale Trade ($56,991), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($53,147).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($63,021), Public Administration ($56,037), and Construction ($48,315).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Illinois.

Y-Axis

2.47%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 6.03M people employed in Illinois. This represents a 2.47% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Illinois.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Illinois went to Kamala Harris with 54.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.43%).

Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are the senators currently representing the state of Illinois. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Illinois is currently represented by 17 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Rockford, IL. Showing the available data for Illinois.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (54.4%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (43.5%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.43%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Illinois went to Kamala Harris with 54.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.43%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Illinois for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Illinois

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Illinois.

Dick Durbin

Senator from Illinois

Assumed office on January 3, 1997

Tammy Duckworth

Senator from Illinois

Assumed office on January 3, 2017

Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are the senators currently representing Illinois.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Illinois over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2024, universities in Rockford, IL awarded 3,569 degrees. The student population of Rockford, IL in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 3,642 male students and 5,934 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Rockford, IL are White (1,509 and 42.7%), Hispanic or Latino (822 and 23.3%), Black or African American (764 and 21.6%), and Unknown (225 and 6.37%).

The largest universities in Rockford, IL by number of degrees awarded are Rock Valley College (1,555 and 43.6%), Rasmussen University-Illinois (934 and 26.2%), and Stautzenberger College-Rockford Career College (534 and 15%).

The most popular majors in Rockford, IL are Registered Nursing (819 and 22.9%), Liberal Arts & Sciences (501 and 14%), and Nursing Assistant & Patient Care Assistant (269 and 7.54%).

The median tuition cost for private four year colleges is $31,799.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Rockford, IL, the percentage of applicants admitted was 92.9%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 13.4%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 9,576 (38% men and 62% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 9,576 students enrolled in Rockford, IL, 38% men and 62% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 4,268 records, of which 56.8% were women and 43.2% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
739 degrees awarded
Liberal Arts & Sciences
501 degrees awarded
Biological & Physical Sciences
176 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Rockford, IL was Registered Nursing with 739 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Rockford, IL according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Rock Valley College
1,555 degrees awarded
Rasmussen University-Illinois
934 degrees awarded
Stautzenberger College-Rockford Career College
534 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Rock Valley College with 1,555 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 1,106 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Rockford, IL, which is 0.449 times less than the 2,463 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,509 degrees mean that there were 1.84 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 822 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($31,799) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Private for-profit, 2-year ($1,362) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,600) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Rockford, IL was $129,000 in 2024, which is 0.388 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $120,900 to $129,000, a 6.7% increase. The homeownership rate in Rockford, IL is 54.9%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Rockford, IL have an average commute time of 21.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Rockford, IL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$129,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$4,930

$33,697

Median Property Taxes

±$1,396

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Rockford, IL the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Rockford, IL compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

54.9%

Homeownership

2024

61.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 54.9% of the housing units in Rockford, IL were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 53.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Rockford, IL compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$54,752

Median Household Income

± $2,248

61.3k

Number of Households

± 2,021

In 2024, the median household income of the 61.3k households in Rockford, IL grew to $54,752 from the previous year's value of $53,328.

The following chart displays the households in Rockford, IL distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Rockford, IL is from Illinois.

0.471

2024 Wage GINI in Illinois

0.474

2023 Wage GINI in Illinois

In 2024, the income inequality in Illinois was 0.471 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.55% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Illinois was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Illinois in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Illinois across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (74.3%)
Carpooled (11.7%)
Worked At Home (10.1%)

In 2024, 74.3% of workers in Rockford, IL drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.7%) and those who worked at home (10.1%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

21.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Rockford, IL have a shorter commute time (21.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.64% of the workforce in Rockford, IL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Rockford, IL compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Rockford, IL distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Rockford, IL have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

21.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Rockford, IL (30.7k out of 144k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Males 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Rockford, IL is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.