Rock Island, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Rock Island, IL Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Rock Island | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 34,599 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1949.7 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.50% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.4 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 14,559 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Rock Island declined by 3.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 34,599 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Rock Island is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 25.5% of residents. That is 4.3 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 8,827 25.5% +4.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,376 18.4% -3.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,373 18.4% -2.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,060 17.5% +0.6 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Illinois, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.2% of the people living in Rock Island and men 48.8%.
- Women 51.2% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 48.8% Illinois 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
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100% of everyone living in Rock Island
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Economy
Rock Island has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Rock Island | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,536 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.25% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.1% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Rock Island is about 27% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Rock Island | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $65,476 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $862 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 67.4% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Rock Island is about 6.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $862 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Rock Island spend about 34 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 143 hours, about 6.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Rock Island | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.2 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.4 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 143 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,442 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.0% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,725 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,685 | 1,547 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Rock Island is 17 minutes, shorter than the 24 minutes in Illinois.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Rock Island has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Rock Island | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.6% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.17 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Health
Rock Island has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Rock Island | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.9 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.8% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.4% | 19.2% | 19.0% |
Rock Island, IL Compared With Nearby Cities
How Rock Island, IL compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Island, IL | 34,599 | $61,536 #2/2 | $65,476 #2/2 | 17.2 min #1/2 |
| Davenport, IA | 101,249 | $67,866 | $162,001 | 17.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Rock Island, Illinois.
How big is Rock Island, Illinois by population?
About 34,599 people live in Rock Island, Illinois, in 14,559 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 38.4, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Rock Island, Illinois urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Rock Island, Illinois has 1,950 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 23 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Rock Island, Illinois?
The median home costs 1.1 times the median household income ($65,476 against $61,536), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $862 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Rock Island, Illinois have a college degree?
19.6% of adults in Rock Island, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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