Livability Awards
Located in the state of Illinois, Rockford is a mid-sized city with a population of 149,597 people. If we take a look at the last Census, the vast majority of the population falls within one racial group (66% White). Given that fact, Rockford could be considered less diverse than other cities. If you are not a fan of long commutes, you will enjoy living in Rockford. With average one way commute time of only 20 minutes, getting to and from work is a breeze compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Without the right tools, relocating to any new town can be very stressful and challenging. Living in Rockford, Illinois could be a positive experience for anyone who puts in the effort to do the research required. To help you find the best places to live in and around Rockford, AreaVibes has created a livability score using key metrics like education, employment, housing and more.
Rockford has a livability score of 57/100 and is ranked #1,167 in Illinois and #25,978 in the USA. This is a lower than the US average livability score as Rockford does not rank well for most categories. If we consider each of the categories on their own, we see that Rockford ranks well for amenities (A+) and cost of living (B+). On a more negative note, Rockford does not have favorable ranks for the following: crime (F), weather (D-), education (F), employment (F) and housing (D-). If we take a look at the data, we can find out why.
Based on the proximity of local amenities like grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops, parks, librairies, etc., Rockford has received a higher than average score for its local amenities. If you’re planning on relocating and making this area your permanent home, it’s nice to know that there is an ample amount of amenities and things to do within walking distance or a short drive. Some of the notable things to do include: Anderson Japanese Gardens, Discovery Center Museum, and CoCo Key Water Resort.
Assuming that Rockford meets all of your requirements, the next most important item to examine is the affordability of real estate in Rockford. Everything else becomes a lot less important if it turns out that home prices in Rockford are simply unattainable. The median home price for Rockford homes is $91,400, which is 47.7% lower than the Illinois average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in Rockford, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 2.3, which is 23.3% lower than the Illinois average. Knowing if your home will appreciate on a long term or even a short term basis should be factored into your decision making. An increase in your home’s value can be a good way to generate tax-free equity that can create long term financial security. In the past year, appreciation rates for homes in the Rockford area were 9.1% and 5 year appreciation rates were 4%.
| Statistic | Rockford | Illinois | National |
| Average one way commute | 20min | 29min | 26min |
| Workers who drive to work | 81.4% | 73.4% | 76.4% |
| Workers who carpool | 10.6% | 8.3% | 9.3% |
| Workers who take public transit | 2.1% | 9.2% | 5.1% |
| Workers who bicycle | 0.3% | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Workers who walk | 1.2% | 3.1% | 2.8% |
| Working from home | 3.3% | 4.4% | 4.6% |
| Walk | Bike | Compact | Car | S.U.V. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distance | |||||
| Duration | |||||
| Cost/Month |
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