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.
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.
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.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Rockford was:
White
Black or African American
Two or more races
Other race
Asian
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 61,304 | 2.37 | 53.8 | 46.2 |
| Non Family | 25,226 | 1.18 | 43.6 | 56.4 |
| Married | 21,958 | 3.11 | 79 | 21 |
| Female | 10,774 | 3.38 | 29.4 | 70.6 |
| Male | 3,346 | 3.22 | 44.4 | 55.6 |
3.1
Average Family Size
2.37
Average Household Size
53.8%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
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.
rate
21.96%
Overall Poverty Rate
21.16%
Male Poverty Rate
22.73%
Female Poverty Rate
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%.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
39.8%
Overall Marriage Rate
42.3%
Male Marriage Rate
37.6%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
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.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
8.8%
Veteran Poverty Rate
34%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
60.6%
Labor Force Participation
54.8%
Employment Rate
9.6%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
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.
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
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.
Year | Population | Growth | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 6,979 | -132,910 | 1.79% |
| 1870 | 11,049 | 4,070 | 4.7% |
| 1880 | 13,129 | 2,080 | 1.74% |
| 1890 | 23,584 | 10,455 | 6.03% |
| 1900 | 31,051 | 7,467 | 2.79% |
| 1910 | 45,401 | 14,350 | 3.87% |
| 1920 | 65,651 | 20,250 | 3.76% |
| 1930 | 85,864 | 20,213 | 2.72% |
| 1940 | 84,637 | -1,227 | -0.14% |
| 1950 | 92,927 | 8,290 | 0.94% |
| 1960 | 126,706 | 33,779 | 3.15% |
| 1970 | 147,370 | 20,664 | 1.52% |
| 1980 | 139,712 | -7,658 | -0.53% |
| 1990 | 139,426 | -286 | -0.02% |
| 2000 | 150,115 | 10,689 | 0.74% |
| 2010 | 152,871 | ||
| 2011 | 152,449 | -422 | -0.28% |
| 2012 | 152,027 | -422 | -0.28% |
| 2013 | 151,605 | -422 | -0.28% |
| 2014 | 151,183 | -422 | -0.28% |
| 2015 | 150,761 | -422 | -0.28% |
| 2016 | 150,339 | -422 | -0.28% |
| 2017 | 149,917 | -422 | -0.28% |
| 2018 | 149,495 | -422 | -0.28% |
| 2019 | 149,073 | -422 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | 148,719 | -354 | -0.24% |
| 2021 | 147,711 | -1,008 | -0.68% |
| 2022 | 146,710 | -1,001 | -0.68% |
| 2023 | 145,716 | -994 | -0.68% |
| 2024 | 144,728 | -988 | -0.68% |
| 2025 | 143,747 | -981 | -0.68% |
| 2026 | 142,773 | -974 | -0.68% |
| 2027 | 141,805 | -968 | -0.68% |
| 2028 | 140,844 | -961 | -0.68% |
| 2029 | 139,889 | -955 | -0.68% |