City safety & data profile

RockfordIL

Rockford, IL is a 148K-resident city in Winnebago County with a median household income of $54,752.

Winnebago County, Illinois. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Rockford, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Rockford has a population larger than 96% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $129,000, and 3 hospitals serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

148K
Population
Top 4%
By size
$54,752
Median income
$129,000
Median home
21.3%
Poverty rate

The read on Rockford

Rockford posts a median household income higher than 15% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 3 hospitals serve the Rockford area.

Top 85%
by median income, US cities
3
hospitals in & near Rockford

Where Rockford income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$54,752 Bottom 15% higher than 15% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. IL $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Rockford, IL beyond the headline numbers

Rockford sits inside Winnebago County, Illinois, at roughly 42.27°N, -89.09°W. Population 148,278, $54,752 median household income. Median home value $129,000, median rent $985. Poverty rate 21.3%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Rockford's highest-prevalence health measure is obesity at 44.7%, then high blood pressure at 39.5%. 3 hospitals in/around Rockford, 2.7/5 avg rating, 3 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Rockford from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
148,278
Rockford
Median Income
$54,752
-19% vs avg
Median Home Value
$129,000
-43% vs avg
Median Age
37.7
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Winnebago County) - Rockford's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
283K-3%
Median Income
$65,837+40%
Median Home Value
$164,500+33%
Poverty Rate
15.6%-11%
Unemployment
7.3%-43%

Economics

Economics indicators for Rockford, IL
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$985/mo
Poverty Rate
21.3% +50% vs avg
Unemployment 8.5%
Bachelor's Degree+ 23.5%
Work From Home 10.1%
Public Transit 1%

Population

White 52.6%
African American 19.9%
Asian 3.7%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.2%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Obesity
44.7%
High Blood Pressure
39.5%
Short Sleep Duration
38.8%
Physical Inactivity
31%
Frequent Mental Distress
19%
Current Smoking
18.1%
Frequent Physical Distress
16.3%
Binge Drinking
15.5%
Diabetes
15.4%
Lack of Health Insurance
14%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 53.8%
Annual Checkup 78.5%

Other Measures

Current Asthma
11.1%
Coronary Heart Disease
7.5%
Stroke
4.4%

Hospitals 3 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
2
★★
1
★
0
Average Rating
2.7/5
Total Hospitals
3
With ER
3
UW HEALTH
ROCKFORD · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆
JAVON BEA HOSPITAL
ROCKFORD · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆
SAINT ANTHONY MEDICAL CENTER
ROCKFORD · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★☆☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Rockford, IL? ▼
Rockford, IL has a population of 148,278 people, located in Winnebago County, Illinois.
What is the median household income in Rockford? ▼
The median household income in Rockford, IL is $54,752 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 21.3%.
What is the median home value in Rockford? ▼
The median home value in Rockford, IL is $129,000. Median rent is $985/month.
What are the top health concerns in Rockford? ▼
The top health indicators in Rockford include Obesity (44.7%), High Blood Pressure (39.5%), Short Sleep Duration (38.8%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Rockford? ▼
Rockford has 3 hospitals with an average rating of 2.7/5 stars. 3 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Rockford? ▼
The median age in Rockford, IL is 37.7 years. 23.5% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Rockford, IL is located in Winnebago County, Illinois. With a population of 148K and a $54,752 median household income, the community faces health challenges including obesity and high blood pressure. Residents have access to 3 hospitals with an average rating of 2.7/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Rockford area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Illinois

Real-time AQI for every monitored Illinois location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Loves Park, IL 23K Machesney Park, IL 23K Roscoe, IL 11K Beloit, WI 37K Belvidere, IL 25K Janesville, WI 64K DeKalb, IL 43K Sycamore, IL 18K
All cities in Illinois → Compare Rockford vs Loves Park → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Rockford's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Rockford area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Rockford against Illinois peers on any ranking lens. Explore Illinois

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Winnebago County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.