Housing data for Rockford, IL

Rockford, IL has an estimated 147,521 residents and 67,423 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).

It is a city in Winnebago County.

45.1% of households rent.

The median gross rent is $985 a month.

Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+0.3%).

Figures last updated on .

Residents
147,521 (±271)
Housing units
67,423 (±790)
Households that rent
45.1%
Median gross rent
$985
Residents since 2015–2019
+0.3%

What stands out in Rockford

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 16.6% (±1.2 points) in Rockford, higher than in Winnebago County (11.5%).

Households that rent: 45.1% (±1.4 points) in Rockford, higher than in Winnebago County (34.1%).

Households without a vehicle: 12.7% (±1.1 points) in Rockford, higher than in Winnebago County (8.6%).

Median home value: $129,000 (±$4,930) in Rockford, lower than in Winnebago County ($164,500).

Housing in Rockford at a glance

Rockford against Winnebago County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
RockfordWinnebago CountyIllinoisUnited States
Residents147,521 (±271)283,292 (exact)12,694,798 (exact)334,922,499
Housing units67,423 (±790)125,002 (±107)5,457,452 (±471)143,775,355
Households that rent45.1% (±1.4 points)34.1% (±0.9 points)32.9% (±0.2 points)34.8%
Median gross rent$985 (±$19)$1,021 (±$19)$1,274 (±$5)$1,413
Median household income$54,752 (±$2,248)$65,837 (±$1,162)$83,390 (±$362)$80,734
Median home value$129,000 (±$4,930)$164,500 (±$2,551)$263,300 (±$797)$332,700
Median real estate taxes (a year)$3,330 (±$123)$3,930 (±$79)$5,298 (±$22)$3,119
Built before 198074.3% (±2.4 points)63.5% (±1.6 points)63.4% (±0.2 points)49.7%
Average commute21.9 minutes (±0.9)23.0 minutes (±0.6)27.8 minutes (±0.1)26.4 minutes
Households with broadband86.6% (±1.3 points)88.8% (±0.8 points)90.8% (±0.1 points)91.0%
Median age of residents37.7 years (±0.7)39.6 years (±0.2)39.0 years (±0.1)38.9 years

Rockford covers 65.3 square miles of land, about 2,259 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).

How Rockford has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
2015–20192020–2024Amount of changeVerdict
Residents147,070 (±222)147,521 (±271)+0.3%Measurable increase
Housing units66,469 (±670)67,423 (±790)+1.4%Not a measurable change
Median gross rent$772 (±$13)$985 (±$19)+27.6%Up after inflation
Median home value$91,600 (±$2,377)$129,000 (±$4,930)+40.8%Up after inflation
Median household income$44,252 (±$1,141)$54,752 (±$2,248)+23.7%No measurable change after inflation
Median owner cost with a mortgage$1,117 (±$19)$1,279 (±$41)+14.5%Down after inflation
Median real estate taxes$2,928 (±$63)$3,330 (±$123)+13.7%Down after inflation
Households that rent45.8% (±1.1 points)45.1% (±1.4 points)−0.7 percentage pointsNot a measurable change
Rental vacancy rate7.0% (±1.2 points)5.2% (±1.1 points)−1.8 percentage pointsMeasurable decrease

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 Rockford

In 2025, the Rockford Police Department reported 900 violent and 2,531 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.

ZIP codes in Rockford

ZIP Code Tabulation Areas that cover this place (2020–2024 estimates)
ZIP codeShare of the ZIP’s land in this placeResidentsMedian gross rentMedian home valueMedian household income
61104100%17,222$887$90,100$33,772
6111472%15,325$1,288$204,300$85,568
6110771%30,765$1,100$175,400$78,574
6110868%30,355$1,013$144,800$64,415
6110937%26,768$959$139,400$62,973
6110334%22,869$934$115,500$51,161
6110220%15,937$883$98,900$46,599
6110118%19,318$1,037$90,600$46,163

A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.

Places near Rockford

Nearest places with Census figures, by straight-line distance
PlaceDistanceMedian gross rentMedian home valueHouseholds that rent
Rockford Township0.9 mi$994$136,40040.9%
Cherry Valley4.8 mi$1,024$232,80018.7%
Cherry Valley Township5.5 mi$960$180,00035.7%
New Milford6.3 mi$744$132,5008.7%
Loves Park6.4 mi$1,120$160,40039.1%
Machesney Park7.7 mi$1,102$173,70020.4%
Harlem Township (Winnebago County)8.3 mi$1,150$181,90023.4%
Winnebago Township8.4 mi$1,134$203,40011.5%

Places in Illinois most like Rockford

PlaceMedian gross rentMedian home valueMedian household incomeHouseholds that rent
Rockford Township$994$136,400$55,92240.9%
Rantoul$890$118,200$48,69145.0%
Rantoul Township$925$113,000$50,65940.0%
Preston Heights$1,197$144,100$51,62542.0%
Lincoln$828$124,300$57,34043.1%
Rochelle$985$164,300$66,30746.9%

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 Rockford, fiscal year 2027

Rockford, IL MSA, dollars a month
Studio1 bedroom2 bedrooms3 bedrooms4 bedrooms
$816$896$1,172$1,542$1,578

HUD income limits for Rockford, fiscal year 2026

Rockford, IL MSA, annual household income
Household sizeExtremely low (30%)Very low (50%)Low (80%)
1 person$18,850$31,400$50,250
2 people$21,640$35,900$57,400
3 people$27,320$40,400$64,600
4 people$33,000$44,850$71,750
5 people$38,680$48,450$77,500
6 people$44,360$52,050$83,250
7 people$50,040$55,650$89,000
8 people$55,720$59,250$94,750

These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Rockford, IL MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $89,400.

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 Rockford

What is the average rent in Rockford, IL?

The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Rockford is $985 (±$19) 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 Rockford?

The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Rockford, IL is $725 (±$33) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Are renters in Rockford rent-burdened?

53.7% of renting households in Rockford 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 Rockford?

Rockford has an estimated 27,627 (±999) renting households, 45.1% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

What is the median household income in Rockford?

The median household income in Rockford is $54,752 (±$2,248) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

What is the average home value in Rockford, IL?

The Census Bureau publishes the median: $129,000 (±$4,930) for owner-occupied homes in Rockford (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Is Rockford growing?

In Rockford, the number of residents went from 147,070 in 2015–2019 to 147,521 in 2020–2024 (+0.3%), a measurable increase.

What ZIP codes are in Rockford?

The ZIP codes that cover Rockford are 61104, 61114, 61107, 61108, 61109, 61103, 61102, 61101.

What is the median rent in ZIP code 61104?

The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 61104 is $887 (±$54) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Sources

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 Rockford city, Illinois (place:65000, 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.

Request a Census API 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 .

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