Rockford, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Rockford, 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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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Rockford | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 139,970 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2110.3 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.34% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.0 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 57,963 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Rockford declined by 7.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 139,970 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Rockford is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.5% of residents. That is 0.2 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 30,094 21.5% +0.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 27,984 20.0% -1.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 27,075 19.3% -1.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 23,357 16.7% -0.2 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 51.7% of the people living in Rockford and men 48.3%.
- Women 51.7% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 48.3% Illinois 49.4%
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Economy
Rockford has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Rockford | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,584 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.92% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.6% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Rockford is about 35% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Rockford | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $100,992 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $980 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 56.8% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Rockford is about 8.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $980 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Rockford spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 148 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Rockford | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.8 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.6 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 148 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,592 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.8% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 9,541 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,921 | 1,547 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Rockford is 18 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
Rockford has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Rockford | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.3% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.36 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Health
Rockford has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Rockford | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.3 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.4% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.9% | 19.2% | 19.0% |
Rockford, IL Compared With Nearby Cities
How Rockford, IL compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockford, IL | 139,970 | $54,584 #3/3 | $100,992 #1/3 | 17.8 min #2/3 |
| Loves Park, IL | 23,190 | $60,940 | $78,404 | 17.5 min |
| Machesney Park, IL | 20,295 | $74,025 | $78,021 | 18.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Rockford, Illinois.
What is the population of Rockford, Illinois?
About 139,970 people live in Rockford, Illinois, in 57,963 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 36.0, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Rockford, Illinois urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Rockford, Illinois has 2,110 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 24 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Rockford, Illinois an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.9 times the median household income ($100,992 against $54,584), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $980 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Rockford, Illinois?
Unemployment in Rockford, Illinois is 8.6%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Rockford, Illinois have a college degree?
20.3% of adults in Rockford, 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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