Housing data for Rock Falls, IL
Rock Falls, IL has an estimated 8,587 residents and 4,362 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Whiteside County.
32.6% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $754 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 8,587 (±305)
- Housing units
- 4,362 (±251)
- Households that rent
- 32.6%
- Median gross rent
- $754
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −4.1%
What stands out in Rock Falls
Households without a vehicle: 11.7% (±3.5 points) in Rock Falls, higher than in Whiteside County (5.8%).
Households that rent: 32.6% (±5.6 points) in Rock Falls, higher than in Whiteside County (23.1%).
Median home value: $83,900 (±$5,354) in Rock Falls, lower than in Whiteside County ($127,100).
Median household income: $49,600 (±$3,360) in Rock Falls, lower than in Whiteside County ($67,500).
- Commute and cars in Rock Falls
- Renters and owners in Rock Falls
- Home values in Rock Falls
- Income and affordability in Rock Falls
Housing in Rock Falls at a glance
- Median rent: $754 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $759 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 48.1% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 32.6% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $49,600 median household income
- Home values: $83,900 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,038 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $2,112 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 8.4% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 55.4% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 84.3% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 12.6% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 86.2% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 15.7 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 443 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: −4.1% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 16.4% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.3% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Rock Falls against Whiteside County, its state and the nation
| Rock Falls | Whiteside County | Illinois | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 8,587 (±305) | 54,947 (exact) | 12,694,798 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 4,362 (±251) | 25,837 (±91) | 5,457,452 (±471) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 32.6% (±5.6 points) | 23.1% (±1.8 points) | 32.9% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $754 (±$77) | $856 (±$37) | $1,274 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $49,600 (±$3,360) | $67,500 (±$2,936) | $83,390 (±$362) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $83,900 (±$5,354) | $127,100 (±$6,398) | $263,300 (±$797) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $2,112 (±$226) | $2,598 (±$69) | $5,298 (±$22) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 84.3% (±9.1 points) | 77.6% (±3.2 points) | 63.4% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 15.7 minutes (±1.3) | 20.3 minutes (±1.0) | 27.8 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 84.5% (±4.2 points) | 86.7% (±1.5 points) | 90.8% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 37.7 years (±3.8) | 43.0 years (±0.3) | 39.0 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Rock Falls covers 4.0 square miles of land, about 2,156 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Rock Falls has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 8,952 (±305) | 8,587 (±305) | −4.1% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 4,255 (±243) | 4,362 (±251) | +2.5% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $695 (±$83) | $754 (±$77) | +8.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $78,000 (±$3,736) | $83,900 (±$5,354) | +7.6% | Down after inflation |
| Median household income | $49,191 (±$2,895) | $49,600 (±$3,360) | +0.8% | Down after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $885 (±$45) | $1,038 (±$95) | +17.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,830 (±$186) | $2,112 (±$226) | +15.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 36.6% (±4.9 points) | 32.6% (±5.6 points) | −4.0 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 9.4% (±5.1 points) | 12.6% (±7.0 points) | +3.2 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Rock Falls
In 2025, the Rock Falls Police Department reported 443 violent and 2,507 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Whiteside County, the departments that report recorded 209 violent and 1,063 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
Places near Rock Falls
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coloma Township | 0.2 mi | $777 | $86,800 | 28.5% |
| Sterling | 1.9 mi | $859 | $108,700 | 34.9% |
| Sterling Township | 2.9 mi | $865 | $115,200 | 31.6% |
| Montmorency Township | 4.5 mi | $1,125 | $163,800 | 5.5% |
| Nelson | 4.8 mi | — | $86,300 | 10.5% |
| Hopkins Township | 6.2 mi | — | $164,200 | 3.5% |
| Nelson Township | 6.4 mi | $1,098 | $147,700 | 14.2% |
| Hume Township | 7.3 mi | — | $200,600 | 6.2% |
Places in Illinois most like Rock Falls
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coloma Township | $777 | $86,800 | $52,152 | 28.5% |
| Paris | $777 | $75,700 | $53,927 | 35.3% |
| Paris Township | $787 | $90,900 | $53,897 | 33.1% |
| Vandalia | $778 | $98,500 | $45,469 | 33.5% |
| Kewanee | $797 | $73,200 | $50,886 | 30.8% |
| Monmouth | $733 | $86,800 | $61,138 | 33.7% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Illinois.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Rock Falls, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $696 | $755 | $945 | $1,237 | $1,242 |
HUD income limits for Rock Falls, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $19,100 | $31,850 | $50,900 |
| 2 people | $21,800 | $36,400 | $58,200 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $40,950 | $65,450 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $45,450 | $72,700 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $49,100 | $78,550 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $52,750 | $84,350 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $56,400 | $90,150 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $60,000 | $96,000 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Whiteside County, IL, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $90,900.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Rock Falls
What is the average rent in Rock Falls, IL?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Rock Falls is $754 (±$77) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Rock Falls?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Rock Falls, IL is $623 (±$56) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Rock Falls rent-burdened?
48.1% of renting households in Rock Falls pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Rock Falls?
Rock Falls has an estimated 1,237 (±219) renting households, 32.6% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Rock Falls?
The median household income in Rock Falls is $49,600 (±$3,360) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Rock Falls, IL?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $83,900 (±$5,354) for owner-occupied homes in Rock Falls (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Rock Falls growing?
In Rock Falls, the number of residents went from 8,952 in 2015–2019 to 8,587 in 2020–2024 (−4.1%), not a measurable change.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Rock Falls city, Illinois
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Rock Falls city, Illinois
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Rock Falls city, Illinois
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Rock Falls city, Illinois
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Rock Falls city, Illinois
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Rock Falls city, Illinois
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Rock Falls city, Illinois
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Whiteside County, IL
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Whiteside County, IL
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Rock Falls Police Department (ORI IL0980600)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Rock Falls city, Illinois (place:64928, in state:17).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .