Rockford leans Democratic by roughly 20 points: about 60% of voters vote Democratic and 40% Republican.
About 59% of adults in Rockford typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Rockford, ~36% vote Democratic, ~24% Republican, and ~40% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Rockford compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Rockford is the most Democratic-leaning.
Rockford runs about 10 points more Democratic than Illinois as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Rockford. The west side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+51) and the northeast side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+10), a spread of about 42 points.
Why Rockford leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Rockford, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Dense areas vote Democratic. About 89% of residents in Rockford live in densely developed areas, about 53 points above the U.S. average of 36%. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 38% of adults in Rockford have never been married, above 91% of cities.
Walkability and Democratic lean
Places with a highly walkable street grid tend to lean Democratic; Rockford, IL sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Rockford looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. Rockford is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 39% of households in Rockford rent, compared to around 16% in nearby cities. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 25% of adults in Rockford report food insecurity, above 91% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Loves Park, IL R+3
- Cherry Valley, IL R+15
- New Milford, IL R+21
- Machesney Park, IL R+14
- Morristown, IL R+33
- Caledonia, IL R+15
- Winnebago, IL R+32
- Irene, IL R+37
- Belvidere, IL R+9
- Roscoe, IL R+17
Cities with Similar Populations
- Lake Worth, FL D+10
- Ontario, CA D+13
- Cumming, GA R+25
- Fredericksburg, VA D+6
- Glendale, CA D+13
- Evansville, IN R+9
- Reading, PA D+12
- Enterprise, NV D+6
- Escondido, CA D+8
- Palmdale, CA D+14
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Illinois State Board of Elections, distributed by the Voting and Election Science Team. Demographic inputs come from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates and the 2020 Decennial Census). Health and environmental inputs come from the CDC (PLACES and the Environmental Justice Index). Land cover comes from the USGS and EPA. Election-day and lead-up weather come from PRISM 4km daily grids and the NOAA Global Historical Climatology Network. Mail-voting and election-administration patterns come from the MIT Election Lab's Survey of the Performance of American Elections. Block-group crime detail comes from CrimeGrade. Internet data and modeling support provided by ISPreports.org.
Modeling and analysis by the BestNeighborhood data science team. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.