Rockford, IL, known as 'The Forest City,' offers a unique blend of historic charm and modern urban amenities. Located in Winnebago County, Rockford is a large city that serves as a major cultural and economic hub. Major nearby cities like Chicago (90 miles) and Madison (75 miles) enhance its status as a central point in the region. Rockford's blend of historic landmarks, cultural festivals, and urban amenities creates a distinctive living experience.
Rockford is home to several iconic landmarks, including the Anderson Japanese Gardens, the historic Coronado Performing Arts Center, and the scenic Rock Cut State Park. The city offers a variety of attractions, from the beautiful Klehm Arboretum to the bustling CherryVale Mall, known for its shopping and dining. Rockford's dining scene is diverse, offering everything from Midwestern cuisine to international dishes.
Annual events such as the Rockford AirFest and the Stroll on State highlight the city's vibrant cultural scene and provide unique entertainment opportunities for residents and visitors. These events celebrate Rockford's rich cultural heritage and community spirit. Prestigious institutions like Rockford University contribute to the city's academic and cultural vibrancy, fostering a thriving intellectual community.
The arts and culture scene in Rockford is dynamic and diverse, with numerous theaters, music venues, and art galleries. The Rockford Art Museum and the Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center are just a few of the cultural landmarks that showcase the city's commitment to the arts. Living in Rockford provides ample opportunities to engage with art, music, and history, making it an exciting place to call home.
Rockford’s community is welcoming and diverse, creating a friendly environment for newcomers. The city is home to professional sports teams like the Rockford IceHogs (AHL) and the Rockford Rivets (Northwoods League), providing plenty of excitement for sports fans. Major industries in Rockford include aerospace, healthcare, and manufacturing, with significant employers such as Collins Aerospace and SwedishAmerican driving economic growth. The city has extensive public transit options, including buses and Metra trains, making commuting convenient.
Cost Of Living
Taking into account the cost of goods and services like housing, groceries, transportation and utilities, the overall cost of living in this area is well below average.
Housing
High scores in the housing category are a distinguishing feature of this area, possibly driven by a favorable home affordability ratio, higher home values and appreciation rates.
Health & Safety
Good air quality as well as nearby health facilities like hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, fire and police stations all contribute to a higher than average health and safety score.
Amenities
The majority of amenities are not ideally located within walking distance. To access these amenities, residents may be required to rely on a vehicle or public transit.
Commute
A low commute score could be due to longer-than-average work commutes and the limited availability of public transportation in this area.
Crime
This area reports elevated crime rates per 100,000 individuals, potentially pointing some areas being unsafe for its residents. Stats are based on both property and violent crimes.
Employment
In the employment category, a low score could be attributed to low income levels and high unemployment in the area, suggesting potential difficulties in finding lucrative employment.
Schools
The low schools score could result from issues like below-average graduation rates, inadequate reading and math scores, and the unavailability of local elementary and high schools.
Rockford, Illinois is a medium-sized city with a population of 147,441 residents. In Rockford, only 48% of people over the age of fifteen are married. This city could be a good option for singles ready to mingle.
If you’re considering moving to any new city, it could be a very discouraging task. However, it could also be a great experience if you are willing to get to know the city before actually living in Rockford, Illinois. When searching for a new neighborhood, several key items should be considered. Safety is of utmost importance, ensuring a secure environment with low crime. Proximity to your workplace or school helps reduce commuting time and offers convenience. Access to amenities such as parks, grocery stores, and healthcare facilities enhances your daily life. Public transportation options contribute to easy mobility. A sense of community fosters a supportive and engaging environment. Lastly, the overall atmosphere should align with your desired lifestyle, ensuring a fulfilling living experience. Considering these items will guide you towards finding the perfect neighborhood that fits all your needs. Finding the best places to live in Rockford and nearby areas is a much easier task when you can rely on information and data from the livability score, which includes cost of living, commute, health & safety, housing and other important metrics.
Using data and statistics Rockford has received a livability score of 60 out of 100. This score is ranked in the 41st percentile when compared to all other cities. This score ranks well below the national average. With such a low livability score, it might be worth investigating a little further. If we dig a little deeper into each category within the livability score, we see that Rockford has higher than average rankings for the following: cost of living (A+) and housing (B+). The bad news for Rockford, there are some categories for which it does not rank well, this includes: amenities (F), crime (F), education (F) and employment (D-).
A robust real estate market serves as a crucial economic indicator, reflecting the local area's strength, stability and the confidence of its residents. Rockford excels in the housing sector, scoring high marks based on factors such as median home and rental prices, appreciation rates and home affordability. These calculations suggest that the apartment rental and real estate market in the region is exceptionally healthy, highlighting the area's economic vitality and attractiveness to potential homebuyers and renters.
There are many factors that go into deciding if an area is the right fit for your lifestyle. Certain “must haves” like low crime, great schools and nearby amenities are all at the top of most people's lists. But before even considering if those options are attainable, we'll need to know if the real estate in Rockford is actually affordable. Median real estate prices in Rockford come in at $95,200, which is 45.5% lower than the Illinois average. The home price to income ratio compares the median home prices to the median household income. In Rockford, the home price to income ratio is 2.1, which is 30% lower than the Illinois average.
| Statistic | Rockford | Illinois | National |
| Average one way commute | 22min | 29min | 26min |
| Workers who drive to work | 78.3% | 73.4% | 76.4% |
| Workers who carpool | 11.9% | 8.3% | 9.3% |
| Workers who take public transit | 1.8% | 9.2% | 5.1% |
| Workers who bicycle | 0.3% | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Workers who walk | 1.9% | 3.1% | 2.8% |
| Working from home | 4.5% | 4.4% | 4.6% |
Here are the best places to live in Illinois
These are the 10 cheapest cities in Illinois
Safest Cities In The US
These are the largest cities in Illinois