Population 142,757 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Rock Island County
Household size in Rock Island County
| Period | Rock Island County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.38 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.37 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.32 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.29 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.09 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Rock Island County is a place of small households, averaging 2.29 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.38, as it has nationally. Rock Island County has smaller households than the great majority of Illinois counties.
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 Island County
| Period | Rock Island County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.2 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.2 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.6 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.1 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.9 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
At 41.1, the median age in Rock Island County is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has crept up from 40.2, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the west, the oldest in the east.
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 Island County
| Period | Rock Island County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.4% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.9% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.1% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.3% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in eight households in Rock Island County (13.3%), a bit above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 1.9 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Few Illinois counties have a higher share of single-parent households: only eight of 102.
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 Island County
Renters in Rock Island County
| Period | Rock Island County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.5% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.1% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.0% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 30.3% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Rock Island County own their homes; 30.3% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 42.3% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the east and least common in the southwest. The renter share has risen 1.8 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Island County
| Period | Rock Island County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.0% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.4% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.3% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.8% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Rock Island County: 7.8% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Vacancy is down 1.2 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Rock Island County has a lower vacancy rate than the great majority of Illinois counties.
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 Island County
| Period | Rock Island County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1958 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1959 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1959 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1961 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Rock Island County is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1961, 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 1958 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the east, the oldest in the west.
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 Island County
| Period | Rock Island County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $639 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $744 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $797 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $971 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$332 | +$475 | +$606 |
The median renter in Rock Island County pays $971 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $332 a month from 2006–10, a 52% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 28.7% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the south and lowest in the west.
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 Island County
Bachelor's degrees in Rock Island County
| Period | Rock Island County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.2% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.7% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.2% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.8% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Rock Island County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 24.8%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 3.6 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Compared with other Illinois counties, though, Rock Island County has a higher share of college graduates than most.
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 Island County
| Period | Rock Island County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.7% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.8% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.5% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.7% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Rock Island County have finished high school as nationally: 90.7%, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 4.1 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Island County
| Period | Rock Island County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.8% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.6% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.6% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.6%, unemployment in Rock Island County is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 2.1 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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 Island County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Island County | 2.29 | 41.1 | 13.3% | 30.3% | 7.8% | 1961 | $971 | 24.8% | 90.7% | 5.6% |
| Scott County | 2.39 | 40.1 | 10.8% | 30.0% | 7.7% | 1972 | $1,235 | 37.3% | 93.6% | 3.5% |
| Henry County | 2.42 | 44.0 | 11.2% | 20.1% | 10.4% | 1960 | $933 | 24.6% | 92.0% | 5.1% |
| Muscatine County | 2.43 | 40.0 | 13.7% | 26.1% | 7.4% | 1968 | $1,008 | 23.5% | 89.7% | 3.0% |
| Bureau County | 2.33 | 44.0 | 10.1% | 23.9% | 10.6% | 1957 | $864 | 21.6% | 91.3% | 4.3% |
| Washington County | 2.52 | 40.9 | 9.0% | 26.0% | 7.7% | 1966 | $877 | 26.4% | 93.4% | 2.2% |
| LaSalle County | 2.37 | 42.4 | 12.0% | 25.6% | 9.3% | 1966 | $1,011 | 20.5% | 92.1% | 5.7% |
| Keokuk County | 2.45 | 42.9 | 9.7% | 18.7% | 11.6% | 1952 | $817 | 16.9% | 94.3% | 4.3% |
| Mahaska County | 2.45 | 39.5 | 9.9% | 32.0% | 9.7% | 1963 | $821 | 24.7% | 93.5% | 3.7% |
| Grundy County | 2.64 | 39.5 | 10.0% | 25.6% | 4.7% | 1986 | $1,242 | 23.7% | 93.7% | 4.5% |
| Will County | 2.93 | 39.8 | 10.3% | 17.2% | 4.9% | 1987 | $1,764 | 38.2% | 91.8% | 4.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Boone County, KY · Brunswick County, NC · Coconino County, AZ · Spotsylvania County, VA · Monroe County, IN · Napa County, CA · Orange County, NC · Parker County, TX · Ponce Municipio, PR · Randall County, TX
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 Island County. 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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