Belvidere receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Rockford
Belvidere
Opportunity
21 · Bottom 2%
vs23 · Bottom 3%
Growth
42 · Bottom 35%
vs33 · Bottom 21%
Climate
59 · Bottom 12%
vs59 · Bottom 12%
Physical resilience
62 · Top 46%
vs74 · Top 32%
Housing affordability
92 · Top 28%
vs99 · Top 10%
Schools
18 · Bottom 9%
vs25 · Bottom 16%
Access
65 · Bottom 9%
vs69 · Bottom 11%
Economic stability
38 · Bottom 14%
vs60 · Bottom 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Rockford | Belvidere | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 147,521 | 24,752 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $54,752 | $64,528 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,263 | $32,460 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,259/sq mi | 1,955/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $129,000 | $158,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $985 | $991 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.9% | 70.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 5.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.3% | -1.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.5% | 12.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 21.3% | 14.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 143 | 30 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 1.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 27.7% | 0.0% | 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 | 62 mi | 54 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.3 min | 26.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.7 | 38.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 45 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.62 | 13.47 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 11.5% | 8.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 13.8% | 15.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 70.4% | 55.8% | 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
Rockford
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Belvidere
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Rockford, IL · Belvidere, IL · How this is calculated: methodology