Best PlacesDowntown Rockford, Rockford, IL Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around Downtown Rockford, Rockford, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Several measures below read low, and the ranked lists name which ones. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
Downtown Rockford, Rockford ranks 5,659th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. Health outcomes pulls hardest against it, while it scores best on walkability.
The best neighborhoods in Downtown Rockford, Rockford
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
Downtown Rockford, Rockford's strengths and weaknesses
Where Downtown Rockford, Rockford ranks high
- WalkabilityBetter than 82% of neighborhoods
- BikingBetter than 81% of neighborhoods
- Short commute19.9 minutes each way, better than 80% of neighborhoods
- State infrastructureBetter than 78% of neighborhoods
- Cell coverageBetter than 78% of neighborhoods
Where Downtown Rockford, Rockford ranks low
- Health outlookBetter than only 1% of neighborhoods
- Local economyBetter than only 1% of neighborhoods
- Voter turnoutBetter than only 4% of neighborhoods
- State fiscal healthBetter than only 4% of neighborhoods
- Household income$30,652 median, better than only 5% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in Downtown Rockford, Rockford
A household needs to earn about $39,000 a year to comfortably buy the median Downtown Rockford, Rockford home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $30,652, so buying stretches a typical household.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses Downtown Rockford, Rockford's effective rate of 1.90%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 6 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in Downtown Rockford, Rockford
Downtown Rockford, Rockford's age mix sits close to the national median, and households here run smaller than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for Downtown Rockford, Rockford.
Who works in Downtown Rockford, Rockford, and how
Work in Downtown Rockford, Rockford centers on manufacturing and transportation & warehousing. Unemployment runs well above the national rate, and the job base is shrinking.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 80%
- Work from home 7%
- Transit, walk, or bike 13%
Life in Downtown Rockford, Rockford
Downtown Rockford, Rockford has more restaurants and bars per resident than 93% of neighborhoods. That concentrates in some parts of Downtown Rockford, Rockford and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in Downtown Rockford, Rockford, month by month
Downtown Rockford, Rockford sees roughly 69 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 87 degrees. January highs sit near 33, with lows near 16. The comfortable stretch runs May through September.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 24° | 16° |
| April | 63° | 49° | 37° |
| July | 87° | 75° | 63° |
| October | 67° | 53° | 42° |
Flying in and out of Downtown Rockford, Rockford
The nearest airport, Chicago/Rockford International, is about 5 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Chicago O'Hare International, about 64 miles away.
The best schools in and around Downtown Rockford, Rockford
Schools across Downtown Rockford, Rockford average a C−, better than 38% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Haskell Elementary SchoolD− · 15% proficient
- C Henry Bloom Elem SchoolF · 8% proficient
- Constance Lane Elementary SchoolF · 3% proficient
Top middle schools
- Thurgood Marshall SchoolA+ · 82% proficient
Top high schools
- Roosevelt CenterF · 4% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every Downtown Rockford, Rockford school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
Downtown Rockford, Rockford measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare Downtown Rockford, Rockford against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in Downtown Rockford, Rockford
Is Downtown Rockford, Rockford a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, Downtown Rockford, Rockford ranks 5,659th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on walkability, biking, and short commutes, and lowest on health outcomes and a weak job market. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is Downtown Rockford, Rockford expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $128,316. The overall cost of living runs about 18% below the national average. Set against a $30,652 median income, cost of living beats 6% of neighborhoods.
Is Downtown Rockford, Rockford safe?
Downtown Rockford, Rockford is safer than 6% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $780 per resident a year.
Compare Downtown Rockford, Rockford with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to Downtown Rockford, Rockford. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in Downtown Rockford, Rockford represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
Downtown Rockford, Rockford detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for Downtown Rockford, Rockford: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in Downtown Rockford, Rockford: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of Downtown Rockford, Rockford: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in Downtown Rockford, Rockford: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
Downtown Rockford, Rockford detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.