Rockford, Illinois Population 2023

145,716

Rockford is a city located in Winnebago County Illinois. Rockford has a 2023 population of 145,716. It is also the county seat of Winnebago County.Rockford is currently declining at a rate of -0.68% annually and its population has decreased by -2.02% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 148,719 in 2020.

The average household income in Rockford is $64,532 with a poverty rate of 21.96%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Rockford is 37.6 years, 36.3 years for males, and 38.9 years for females.

It is located in both Winnebago County, where it serves as the county seat, and a small portion of the city is also located in Ogle County. By population, Rockford is the third largest city in Illinois, and it is the largest city outside of the Chicago metro area.

Rockford, IL Religion Statistics

Religious residents in Rockford report that the population is predominantly Catholic. However, other religions are practiced amongst the city’s residents, including Buddhism, Muslim, and Jewish practices. Approximately 14% of Rockford’s population lives below the federal poverty line.

Rockford Population Changes

The city was once one of the leading manufacturers in the United States of furniture, machinery, and heavy tools. However, when the manufacturing industry declined, the city turned to other sectors to stimulate the economy, including healthcare, tourism, and aerospace. Currently, the city’s population is down over 3% from the last official census data recorded in 2010. However, the city is making efforts to bring residents back into the city, including a revitalization of the downtown area. Whether these efforts will be successful remains unknown, and only time will tell if Rockford’s population will once again be on the rise.

The city of Rockford was initially established by a group of four men that had come from the nearby town of Galena. Initially, the settlement claimed the name of 'Midway' due to its unique location at a midpoint between the settlements of Chicago and Galena. However, a ford that was placed perfectly on the Rock River lead to a new name for the developing city - Rockford.

The city of Rockford was officially incorporated in 1839 and was granted city status in 1852. The city became known for the craftsmanship of furniture. The industry didn't survive the struggles that the Great Depression and the following Second World War would place on the city. After the wars, Rockford industry became based in machinery, automotive, packaging, and innovation of exciting products. Some of the popular innovations attributed to the area include the airbrush and the dollar bill changer among many other tools.

The 1992 move, A League of Their Own, featured the Rockford Peaches - which was an all-girls baseball team.

Rockford Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Rockford was:

  • White: 62.77%
  • Black or African American: 21.7%
  • Two or more races: 7.43%
  • Other race: 4.12%
  • Asian: 3.56%
  • Native American: 0.35%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.06%
Land Area (mi²)
64.4 sq mi
Density (mi²)
2,263.40/sq mi
Growth Rate
-0.68% (-994)
Growth Since 2020
-2.02% (-3,003)
The current population of Rockford, Illinois is 145,716 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 148,719.

Rockford, Illinois Population 2023

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
White93,48662.77%
Black or African American32,32621.7%
Two or more races11,0717.43%
Other race6,1414.12%
Asian5,3093.56%
Native American5210.35%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander880.06%
showing: 7 rows

White

Black or African American

Two or more races

Other race

Asian

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Rockford Population by Race

Rockford Population Pyramid 2023

Rockford Median Age

37.6

Total

36.3

Male

38.9

Female

Rockford Adults

There are 111,695 adults, (25,206 of whom are seniors) in Rockford.

Rockford Age Dependency

72.2

Age Dependency Ratio

29.1

Old Age Dependency Ratio

43.1

Child Dependency Ratio

Rockford Sex Ratio

Female76,13951.12%
Male72,80348.88%

Rockford Population by Age

Rockford Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All61,3042.3753.846.2
Non Family25,2261.1843.656.4
Married21,9583.117921
Female10,7743.3829.470.6
Male3,3463.2244.455.6
showing: 5 rows

3.1

Average Family Size

2.37

Average Household Size

53.8%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Rockford Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Rockford Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Rockford Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 100%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among islander people with a rate of 50.57%.

Rockford Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$33,561

Average Earnings

$39,307

Average Male

$28,692

Average Female

Rockford Earnings by Educational Attainment

Rockford Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Rockford Language

78.44% of Rockford residents speak only English, while 21.56% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 14.47% of the population.

Rockford Language

Rockford Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
Black31,43411,99238.15%
White76,26211,27014.78%
Hispanic27,7546,42823.16%
Multiple10,8203,48732.23%
Other6,1101,11418.23%
Asian5,29478814.88%
Native494275.47%
Islander871517.24%
showing: 8 rows

21.96%

Overall Poverty Rate

21.16%

Male Poverty Rate

22.73%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Rockford

The race most likely to be in poverty in Rockford is Black, with 38.15% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Rockford is Native, with 5.47% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 5.54%. Among those working part-time, it was 24.69%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 26.06%.

Rockford Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade31.04%
High School20.58%
Some College14.76%
Bachelors or Greater6.12%
showing: 4 rows

Rockford Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed43.63%
Male Unemployed38.23%
Female Employed12.66%
Male Employed10%
showing: 4 rows

Rockford Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Rockford Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Rockford Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

39.8%

Overall Marriage Rate

42.3%

Male Marriage Rate

37.6%

Female Marriage Rate

Rockford Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Rockford Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.

Rockford Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Rockford Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

7,922

Number of Veterans

7,156

Male Veterans

766

Female Veterans

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Rockford Veterans by War

count

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Rockford Veterans by Age

count

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Rockford Veterans by Race

Rockford Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

8.8%

Veteran Poverty Rate

34%

Veteran Disability Rate

Rockford Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

60.6%

Labor Force Participation

54.8%

Employment Rate

9.6%

Unemployment Rate

Rockford Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Rockford Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Rockford Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

68.27%

Born in Rockford

89.31%

Native Born

13.01%

Foreign Born

7.6%

Non Citizen

5.41%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

89.31% of Rockford residents were born in the United States, with 68.27% having been born in Illinois. 7.6% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

Rockford Place of Birth

Note: data after 2021 is projected based on recent change

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Year
Population
Growth
Growth Rate
18606,979-132,9101.79%
187011,0494,0704.7%
188013,1292,0801.74%
189023,58410,4556.03%
190031,0517,4672.79%
191045,40114,3503.87%
192065,65120,2503.76%
193085,86420,2132.72%
194084,637-1,227-0.14%
195092,9278,2900.94%
1960126,70633,7793.15%
1970147,37020,6641.52%
1980139,712-7,658-0.53%
1990139,426-286-0.02%
2000150,11510,6890.74%
2010152,871
2011152,449-422-0.28%
2012152,027-422-0.28%
2013151,605-422-0.28%
2014151,183-422-0.28%
2015150,761-422-0.28%
2016150,339-422-0.28%
2017149,917-422-0.28%
2018149,495-422-0.28%
2019149,073-422-0.28%
2020148,719-354-0.24%
2021147,711-1,008-0.68%
2022146,710-1,001-0.68%
2023145,716-994-0.68%
2024144,728-988-0.68%
2025143,747-981-0.68%
2026142,773-974-0.68%
2027141,805-968-0.68%
2028140,844-961-0.68%
2029139,889-955-0.68%
showing: 35 rows

Rockford Population by Year