Winnebago County, IL

County

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2024 Population

283,292

US Senator

Dick Durbin

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tammy Duckworth

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

39.6

0.252% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

15.6%

2.49% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$65,837

2.29% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$164,500

6.06% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

128,272

0.286% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Winnebago County, 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.

95.4% of the residents in Winnebago County, IL are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Winnebago County, IL are Rock Valley College (1,363 degrees awarded in 2023), Rasmussen University-Illinois (1,241 degrees), and Stautzenberger College-Rockford Career College (334 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Winnebago County, IL was $164,500, and the homeownership rate was 65.9%.

Most people in Winnebago County, IL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23 minutes. The average car ownership in Winnebago County, IL was 2 cars per household.

Winnebago County, IL borders Boone County, IL, DeKalb County, IL, Ogle County, IL, Stephenson County, IL, Green County, WI, and Rock County, WI.

About the photo: Rockford, IL

Photo by jimflix!

United States Illinois Rockford, IL

Population & Diversity

Winnebago County, IL is home to a population of 283k people, from which 95.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 8.64% of Winnebago County, IL residents were born outside of the country (24.5k people).

In 2024, there were 5.51 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (181k people) in Winnebago County, IL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 32.8k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 16.4k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.4%

2024 Citizenship

95.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 95.4% of Winnebago County, IL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Winnebago County, IL was 95.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Winnebago County, IL

White (Non-Hispanic)
181k ± 625
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
32.8k ± 1.21k
Other (Hispanic)
16.4k ± 1.47k

15.5%

Hispanic Population

44k people

15.5% of the people in Winnebago County, IL are hispanic (44k people).

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

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Mexico
633,244 ± 19,044 people
India
161,770 ± 9,812 people
Poland
119,556 ± 8,449 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Illinois was Mexico, the natal country of 633,244 Illinois residents, followed by India with 161,770 and Poland with 119,556.

Foreign-Born Population

8.64%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

24.5k people

8.46%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

24k people

As of 2024, 8.64% of Winnebago County, IL residents (24.5k 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 Winnebago County, IL was 8.46%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
4,880 ± 442
Gulf War (2001-)
2,555 ± 423
Gulf War (1990s)
1,548 ± 320

Winnebago County, IL has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.91 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Winnebago County, IL employs 128k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Winnebago County, IL were Manufacturing (24,175 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (18,614 people), and Retail Trade (15,581 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($86,467), Management of Companies & Enterprises ($74,625), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($67,941).

Employment

Occupations

128k

2024 Value

± 2,727

−0.286%

1 Year decline

± 3.03%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Winnebago County, IL declined at a rate of −0.286%, from 129k employees to 128k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Winnebago County, IL, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (14,508 people), Production Occupations (13,019 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (11,886 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Winnebago County, 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

128k

2024 Value

± 2,727

−0.286%

1 Year decline

± 3.03%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Winnebago County, IL declined at a rate of −0.286%, from 129k employees to 128k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Winnebago County, IL, are Manufacturing (24,175 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (18,614 people), and Retail Trade (15,581 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Winnebago County, IL, though some of these residents may live in Winnebago County, IL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$51,285

Median earning men ± $1,124

$37,902

Median earning women ± $1,444

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($82,067), Wholesale Trade ($62,962), and Manufacturing ($59,633).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($64,459), Public Administration ($54,778), and Construction ($49,137).

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.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

404
Other Services (except Public Administration)
376
Retail Trade
367
Construction

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$1.62M
Manufacturing
$1.24M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$446k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

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 Winnebago County, 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 2023, universities in Winnebago County, IL awarded 3,494 degrees. The student population of Winnebago County, IL in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 3,431 male students and 5,865 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Winnebago County, IL are White (1,596 and 46.1%), Black or African American (691 and 20%), Hispanic or Latino (673 and 19.4%), and Unknown (275 and 7.95%).

The largest universities in Winnebago County, IL by number of degrees awarded are Rock Valley College (1,363 and 39%), Rasmussen University-Illinois (1,241 and 35.5%), and Stautzenberger College-Rockford Career College (334 and 9.56%).

The most popular majors in Winnebago County, IL are Registered Nursing (934 and 26.7%), Liberal Arts & Sciences (509 and 14.6%), and Nursing Assistant & Patient Care Assistant (231 and 6.61%).

The median tuition cost in Winnebago County, IL for private four year colleges is $31,434.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Winnebago County, IL, the percentage of applicants admitted was 57.3%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 11.3%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 9,296 (36.9% men and 63.1% 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 2023 there were 9,296 students enrolled in Winnebago County, IL, 36.9% men and 63.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 4,334 records, of which 57.9% were women and 42.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
509 degrees awarded
Biological & Physical Sciences
145 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
789 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Winnebago County, IL was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 509 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Rock Valley College
1,363 degrees awarded
Rasmussen University-Illinois
1,241 degrees awarded
Stautzenberger College-Rockford Career College
334 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Rock Valley College with 1,363 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 927 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Winnebago County, IL, which is 0.361 times less than the 2,567 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,596 degrees mean that there were 2.31 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 691 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 ($31,434) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private for-profit, 2-year ($1,409) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

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 Winnebago County, IL was $164,500 in 2024, which is 0.494 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $155,100 to $164,500, a 6.06% increase. The homeownership rate in Winnebago County, IL is 65.9%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Winnebago County, IL have an average commute time of 23 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Winnebago County, IL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 14.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Winnebago County, IL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1%.

Housing

Property

$164,500

Median Property Value 2024

±$2,551

$76,408

Median Property Taxes

±$1,893

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 Winnebago County, IL the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

65.9%

Homeownership

2024

61.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 65.9% of the housing units in Winnebago County, IL were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 65.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Winnebago County, 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.

$65,837

Median Household Income

± $1,162

116k

Number of Households

± 2,615

In 2024, the median household income of the 116k households in Winnebago County, IL grew to $65,837 from the previous year's value of $64,363.

The following chart displays the households in Winnebago County, 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 Winnebago County, IL is from Illinois.

0.474

2023 Wage GINI in Illinois

0.477

2022 Wage GINI in Illinois

In 2023, the income inequality in Illinois was 0.474 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.554% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Illinois was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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 (76.8%)
Carpooled (10.2%)
Worked At Home (9.81%)

In 2024, 76.8% of workers in Winnebago County, IL drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.2%) and those who worked at home (9.81%).

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

23 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Winnebago County, IL have a shorter commute time (23 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.91% of the workforce in Winnebago County, IL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 14.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Winnebago County, IL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

15.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Winnebago County, IL (43.6k out of 279k 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 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Winnebago County, 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.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 20.3% of the children was living in poverty in Winnebago County, IL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.3%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 887 in Winnebago County, IL. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 4.35 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

93.8% of the population of Winnebago County, IL has health coverage, with 44.4% on employee plans, 22.8% on Medicaid, 14.7% on Medicare, 10.9% on non-group plans, and 1% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Winnebago County, IL see 1,423 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,423 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1171 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 416 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,423 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Winnebago County, IL

Primary care physicians in Winnebago County, IL see an average of 1,423 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,423 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Winnebago County, IL in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.9% under 18 years, 19.8% between 18 and 34 years, 37.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

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

Uninsured People

6.17%

Uninsured

44.4%

Employer Coverage

22.8%

Medicaid

14.7%

Medicare

10.9%

Non-Group

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Winnebago County, IL grew by 0.797% from 6.12% to 6.17%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 72.4 in Winnebago County, IL.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Winnebago County, IL.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 38.5% in Winnebago County, IL.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Winnebago County, IL.