Belvidere receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Belvidere
Rockford
Opportunity
23 · Bottom 3%
vs21 · Bottom 2%
Growth
33 · Bottom 21%
vs42 · Bottom 35%
Climate
59 · Bottom 12%
vs59 · Bottom 12%
Physical resilience
74 · Top 32%
vs62 · Top 46%
Housing affordability
99 · Top 10%
vs92 · Top 28%
Schools
25 · Bottom 16%
vs18 · Bottom 9%
Access
69 · Bottom 11%
vs65 · Bottom 9%
Economic stability
60 · Bottom 49%
vs38 · Bottom 14%
Measured values
| Metric | Belvidere | Rockford | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,752 | 147,521 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $64,528 | $54,752 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,460 | $31,263 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,955/sq mi | 2,259/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $158,900 | $129,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $991 | $985 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.9% | 54.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 5.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.9% | -2.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.8% | 23.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.6% | 21.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 30 | 143 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 0.0% | 27.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 15°F | 15°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.2" | 37.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 54 mi | 62 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.5 min | 23.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.7 | 37.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 45 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.47 | 17.62 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 8.9% | 11.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 15.3% | 13.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 55.8% | 70.4% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Belvidere
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Rockford
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Belvidere, IL · Rockford, IL · How this is calculated: methodology