Population 12,557 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Rock Falls
Household size in Rock Falls
| Period | Rock Falls | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.44 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.34 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.44 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.36 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.07 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Rock Falls are small: just 2.36 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has edged down from 2.44 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Rock Falls
| Period | Rock Falls | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.4 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.5 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.2 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.8 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Rock Falls skews older than the country: its median age is 43.2, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has climbed from 41.4 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the south and oldest in the north.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Rock Falls
| Period | Rock Falls | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.2% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.1% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.7% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in seven households in Rock Falls (14.7%), well above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 0.5 points, even as the national share fell. Rock Falls has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of Illinois cities.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Rock Falls
Renters in Rock Falls
| Period | Rock Falls | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.7% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.1% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.8% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.2% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −6.5 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Rock Falls own their homes; 25.2% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 41.2% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the north and least common in the east. The renter share has fallen 6.5 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Rock Falls
| Period | Rock Falls | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.3% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.9% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.5% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.4% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Rock Falls: 11.4% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 3.1 points, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Rock Falls
| Period | Rock Falls | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1960 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1962 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1961 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1963 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Rock Falls is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1963, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1960 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the south, while the north has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Rock Falls
| Period | Rock Falls | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $694 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $712 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $729 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $963 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$269 | +$475 | +$606 |
The median renter in Rock Falls pays $963 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $269 a month from 2006–10, a 39% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 27.4% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the center; the highest are in the east.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Rock Falls
Bachelor's degrees in Rock Falls
| Period | Rock Falls | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.4% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.6% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Rock Falls have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 14.5%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 3.6 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people, only 17 have a lower share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Rock Falls
| Period | Rock Falls | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.6% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.6% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.1% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.9% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Rock Falls have finished high school as nationally: 87.9%, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in Illinois overall (90.3%). The share with a diploma has risen 4.3 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Rock Falls
| Period | Rock Falls | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.3% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.2% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.5% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.3%, unemployment in Rock Falls is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 3.0 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Rock Falls compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Falls | 2.36 | 43.2 | 14.7% | 25.2% | 11.4% | 1963 | $963 | 14.5% | 87.9% | 5.3% |
| Sterling | 2.34 | 42.5 | 11.8% | 28.7% | 12.4% | 1959 | $1,005 | 23.0% | 93.3% | 4.0% |
| Yeoward Addition | 2.56 | 44.9 | 6.7% | 5.6% | 4.8% | 1974 | $1,139 | 20.6% | 96.1% | 2.8% |
| Como | 2.59 | 44.0 | 7.9% | 9.8% | 14.5% | 1960 | $1,023 | 15.5% | 90.8% | 5.3% |
| Galt | 2.67 | 38.5 | 6.3% | 7.6% | 22.1% | 1952 | $1,036 | 14.9% | 91.5% | 4.4% |
| Nelson | 2.13 | 50.6 | 6.1% | 19.1% | 21.4% | 1968 | $828 | 23.5% | 93.0% | 6.4% |
| Harmon | 2.45 | 47.6 | 3.6% | 16.4% | 11.2% | 1955 | $814 | 16.9% | 96.5% | 4.8% |
| Penrose | 2.61 | 45.8 | 6.2% | 10.7% | 6.0% | 1966 | $935 | 25.3% | 98.7% | 5.5% |
| Round Grove | 2.35 | 45.3 | 6.5% | 13.4% | 13.9% | 1964 | $929 | 18.8% | 91.9% | 3.1% |
| Deer Grove | 2.10 | 56.2 | 5.7% | 13.9% | 6.3% | 1948 | $930 | 29.4% | 96.7% | 5.9% |
| Tampico | 2.34 | 49.7 | 11.3% | 10.0% | 21.8% | 1956 | $983 | 14.6% | 85.5% | 5.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Platte City, MO · Mountain City, TN · Palos Verdes Estates, CA · Paw Paw, MI · Pearl River, LA · Pelzer, SC · Pennington, NJ · Pepperell, MA · Pikeville, NC · Mount Vernon, VA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Rock Falls. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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