Population 37,168 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Rock Island
Household size in Rock Island
| Period | Rock Island | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.35 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.34 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.30 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.27 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.08 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Rock Island is a place of small households, averaging 2.27 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 edged down from 2.35, as it has nationally. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the center.
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
| Period | Rock Island | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.1 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.1 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.1 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.5 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.4 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
At 39.5, the median age in Rock Island 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 climbed from 38.1, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the northeast and oldest in the southeast.
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
| Period | Rock Island | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.4% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.8% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.2% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in seven households in Rock Island (15.2%), well above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 3.3 points, even as the national share fell. Rock Island 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 Island
Renters in Rock Island
| Period | Rock Island | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.5% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.4% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.6% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 34.9% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a third of households in Rock Island rent their homes (34.9%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Just over four in ten owners (42.4%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the north and least common in the southeast. The renter share is up 4.4 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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
| Period | Rock Island | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.1% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.1% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.9% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Rock Island than nationally: 7.9%, against 9.6% for the U.S. The picture is much the same across Illinois. Vacancy has fallen 2.6 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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
| Period | Rock Island | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1949 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1949 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1949 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1952 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +4 | +6 |
Rock Island is a place of older homes: half were built before 1952, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the northeast. Only ten of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people have older homes.
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
| Period | Rock Island | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $669 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $805 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $803 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $915 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$246 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Rock Island runs $915 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $246 a month since 2006–10, up 37%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 26.8% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the north; the highest are in the south.
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
Bachelor's degrees in Rock Island
| Period | Rock Island | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.0% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.7% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.9 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
About a quarter of adults 25 and older in Rock Island (25.7%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 4.9 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the west.
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
| Period | Rock Island | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.1% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.1% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 86.8% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.4 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Rock Island is a bit above the national rate: 91.5% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Illinois. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 7.4 points, as it has nationally.
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
| Period | Rock Island | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.6% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.7% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.6% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in Rock Island: 6.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. 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 Island 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 Island | 2.27 | 39.5 | 15.2% | 34.9% | 7.9% | 1952 | $915 | 25.7% | 91.5% | 6.6% |
| Moline | 2.29 | 39.4 | 13.3% | 33.7% | 6.9% | 1956 | $985 | 27.3% | 90.2% | 7.1% |
| Milan | 2.08 | 42.4 | 9.3% | 22.5% | 7.3% | 1971 | $822 | 23.2% | 91.0% | 4.3% |
| Davenport | 2.32 | 38.2 | 12.7% | 36.6% | 8.5% | 1964 | $1,107 | 29.8% | 91.7% | 4.5% |
| Oak Grove | 2.49 | 40.2 | 7.3% | 4.1% | 11.1% | 1980 | $845 | 29.0% | 97.0% | 3.9% |
| Bettendorf | 2.46 | 42.4 | 8.8% | 24.5% | 5.3% | 1984 | $1,638 | 51.8% | 96.0% | 2.2% |
| Riverdale | 2.87 | 40.2 | 2.1% | 16.9% | 3.0% | 1991 | $1,342 | 60.2% | 97.4% | 0.9% |
| Coal Valley | 2.59 | 44.0 | 4.5% | 7.2% | 11.7% | 1975 | $1,315 | 31.9% | 95.9% | 3.6% |
| East Moline | 2.34 | 39.8 | 17.2% | 31.8% | 8.6% | 1965 | $1,029 | 22.9% | 86.7% | 3.6% |
| Silvis | 2.00 | 48.8 | 9.1% | 43.3% | 10.6% | 1974 | $1,036 | 15.9% | 90.8% | 2.9% |
| Buffalo | 2.45 | 43.3 | 8.0% | 9.9% | 4.7% | 1979 | $801 | 31.1% | 95.5% | 3.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Brighton, NY · Cottage Grove, MN · Clementon, NJ · West Fargo, ND · Channelview, TX · Carpentersville, IL · Carlsbad, NM · Wheeling, IL · Blackwood, NJ · Belleville, NJ
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. 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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