Population 11,738 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Rockton: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Rockton
Household size in Rockton
| Period | Rockton | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.90 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.72 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.69 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.71 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.19 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
At 2.71 people per household, Rockton sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is bigger than in Illinois overall, where it has 2.58 people. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.90, a much bigger shift than 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 Rockton
| Period | Rockton | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.2 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.1 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.0 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.6 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.4 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Rockton is 41.6 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. Illinois as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 38.2, mirroring the country.
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 Rockton
| Period | Rockton | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.3% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.9% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.0% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 8.0% of households in Rockton, well below the national share of 11.6%. Compared with other Illinois cities, Rockton has a lower share of single-parent households than most.
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 Rockton
Renters in Rockton
| Period | Rockton | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.8% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.3% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.1% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 17.8% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.0 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 17.8% of households in Rockton rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 39.3% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the north and least common in the south. The renter share has risen 3.0 points since 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 Rockton
| Period | Rockton | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.6% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.1% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.8% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 5.4% of homes in Rockton are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Vacancy has edged down 1.2 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 Rockton
| Period | Rockton | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1989 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1989 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1989 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1989 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | −0 | +4 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Rockton is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1989, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. Rockton has newer homes than the great majority of Illinois cities.
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 Rockton
| Period | Rockton | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $797 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $835 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,039 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,257 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$460 | +$475 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Rockton costs $1,257 a month with utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $460 a month from 2006–10, a 58% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 25.8% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the east; the most affordable are in the center.
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 Rockton
Bachelor's degrees in Rockton
| Period | Rockton | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.6% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.0% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 36.6% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Rockton as nationally: 36.6% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 7.0 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the south and least in the north.
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 Rockton
| Period | Rockton | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.0% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.0% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.8% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.9% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Rockton: 96.9% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 4.0 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Rockton has a higher share of high school graduates than at least four in five Illinois cities.
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 Rockton
| Period | Rockton | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.9% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.6% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.6% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.8% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Rockton runs below the national rate: 3.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 4.1 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).
Rockton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockton | 2.71 | 41.6 | 8.0% | 17.8% | 5.4% | 1989 | $1,257 | 36.6% | 96.9% | 3.8% |
| South Beloit | 2.36 | 41.2 | 8.4% | 29.2% | 6.9% | 1985 | $1,202 | 28.3% | 95.0% | 4.4% |
| Roscoe | 2.77 | 39.7 | 13.0% | 17.8% | 4.1% | 1994 | $1,395 | 37.4% | 96.1% | 4.3% |
| Christilla Heights | 2.47 | 44.8 | 4.8% | 16.5% | 8.7% | 1968 | $852 | 26.3% | 98.0% | 7.5% |
| Beloit | 2.61 | 37.6 | 14.7% | 34.6% | 6.8% | 1960 | $1,047 | 19.4% | 87.8% | 5.7% |
| Shirland | 2.44 | 48.8 | 2.6% | 5.9% | 6.9% | 1974 | $1,055 | 24.4% | 96.8% | 3.1% |
| Machesney Park | 2.62 | 40.1 | 11.4% | 20.3% | 7.4% | 1980 | $1,163 | 19.6% | 90.1% | 6.9% |
| Shopiere | 2.56 | 50.3 | 9.8% | 9.8% | 5.3% | 1971 | $1,096 | 23.1% | 94.6% | 6.1% |
| Hunter | 2.39 | 48.9 | 4.1% | 14.5% | 7.4% | 1965 | $1,194 | 38.3% | 97.8% | 3.7% |
| Garden Village | 2.53 | 39.9 | 14.3% | 28.3% | 2.5% | 1981 | $947 | 30.1% | 95.4% | 6.5% |
| Loves Park | 2.36 | 39.0 | 13.2% | 39.9% | 4.6% | 1981 | $1,175 | 25.5% | 92.9% | 6.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Pleasant View, UT · Moulton, AL · Mounds View, MN · Moundsville, WV · Mount Olive, NC · Mount Sinai, NY · Mount Vernon, IN · Paso Robles, CA · Plattsmouth, NE · Pleasant Hill, MO
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 Rockton. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.