Rockford, IL
Latest: 2024
Competitive — 337K residents — 2 counties
Race & ancestry
| Group | % |
|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 64.4% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(15) | 17.1% |
▶Black / African American(8) | 10.6% |
▶Asian(6) | 2.6% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(10) | 0.5% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(3) | 0.6% |
Multiracial / Other | 4.6% |
Religious adherence
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic | 24.9% | 44.5% |
| Evangelical Protestant | 19.2% | 34.4% |
| Mainline Protestant | 6.5% | 11.7% |
| Other | 3.0% | 5.4% |
| Black Protestant | 2.0% | 3.6% |
| LDS (Mormon) | 0.6% | 1.0% |
| Orthodox Christian | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Non-religious | 44.2% | — |
Presidential results
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Trump+1.9 |
| 2020 | Trump+0.1 |
| 2016 | Trump+2.2 |
| 2012 | Obama+3.8 |
| 2008 | Obama+11.5 |
| 2004 | Bush+2.8 |
| 2000 | Bush+3.2 |
| 1996 | Clinton+0.8 |
| 1992 | Clinton+4.5 |
Rockford, IL is a metro area that has a population of 336,522. In the 2024 presidential election, it voted Republican with a margin of R+1.9. Akashic Edge tracks 40 presidential elections here, dating back to 1868.
| Year | Dem % | Rep % | Margin | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 48.1% | 50.1% | R+1.9 | R+1.8 |
| 2020 | 48.3% | 48.4% | R+0.1 | D+2.1 |
| 2016 | 45.2% | 47.5% | R+2.2 | R+6.1 |
| 2012 | 50.8% | 47.0% | D+3.8 | R+7.6 |
| 2008 | 54.6% | 43.2% | D+11.5 | D+14.2 |
| 2004 | 48.3% | 51.0% | R+2.8 | D+0.4 |
| 2000 | 47.2% | 50.4% | R+3.2 | R+4.0 |
| 1996 | 45.7% | 44.9% | D+0.8 | R+3.6 |
| 1992 | 42.4% | 38.0% | D+4.5 | D+16.1 |
| 1988 | 43.9% | 55.5% | R+11.6 | D+7.7 |
| 1984 | 40.0% | 59.4% | R+19.4 | R+2.3 |
| 1980 | 30.5% | 47.6% | R+17.1 | R+5.7 |
| 1976 | 43.2% | 54.6% | R+11.4 | D+13.2 |
| 1972 | 37.6% | 62.2% | R+24.6 | R+10.6 |
| 1968 | 39.4% | 53.4% | R+14.0 | R+21.8 |
| 1964 | 53.9% | 46.1% | D+7.7 | D+21.3 |
| 1960 | 43.2% | 56.7% | R+13.5 | D+14.5 |
| 1956 | 36.0% | 64.0% | R+28.1 | R+8.5 |
| 1952 | 40.1% | 59.7% | R+19.5 | R+11.2 |
| 1948 | 45.3% | 53.7% | R+8.4 | — |
What defines Rockford, IL?
Rockford, IL has been won by both parties in the last 6 presidential elections (2D, 4R) — a genuine swing geography.
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Counties in Rockford, IL
2024 presidential results across the counties that make up this geography.
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Ask the Historian
Explore Rockford, IL's political evolution with the Historian
Key Insights
High-confidence patterns distilled from this geography's election history.
- The 2020 election was decided by just 0.1 points — razor-thin
- Won by both parties in recent history — Democrats most recently in 2012, Republicans in 2024
- College attainment is 25% — 8pp below the national average. Similar education levels correlate with Republican lean nationally
Who Lives Here
A race-first Census view with ancestry expansion where source coverage is strong enough to support detail.
Census race profile
Major Census race and ethnicity groups shown as a share of total population.
| Group | Rockford, IL | National |
|---|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 64.4% | 57.4% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(15) | 17.1% | 19.3% |
▶Black / African American(8) | 10.6% | 12.2% |
Multiracial / Other | 4.6% | 4.0% |
▶Asian(6) | 2.6% | 6.0% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(3) | 0.6% | 0.9% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(10) | 0.5% | 0.9% |
Method notes
Religious Adherents
Population that are religious adherents:
55.8%
Catholic-Evangelical edge: +5.7pp (vs national 4.5pp). A moderate religious balance between Catholic and Evangelical traditions.
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents | US Pop | US Adherents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24.9% | 44.5% | — | — | |
| 19.2% | 34.4% | — | — | |
| 6.5% | 11.7% | — | — | |
| 3.0% | 5.4% | — | — | |
| 2.0% | 3.6% | — | — | |
LDS (Mormon) | 0.6% | 1.0% | — | — |
| 0.2% | 0.3% | — | — | |
Non-religiousPopulation | 44.2% | — | — | — |
Who lives in the Rockford, IL metro area? 336,522 residents across 2 counties.
Demographics
Read this geography's profile in three layers: local, state (where available), and national baseline.
25% of adults hold a bachelor's degree — 8pp below the national average. Places with similar education levels vote R+9 on average nationally.
Population & electorate
Scale, voting-age share, and this geography's footprint inside the national electorate.
Total population
337K
Share of U.S. population
0.10%
Voting-age population
75.2%
Economic profile
Income, attainment, and ownership indicators that often shape coalition structure and turnout behavior.
Median household income
$68,528
Poverty rate
14.7%
College degree
25.0%
Homeownership
68.2%
Community profile
Age structure, language use, and nativity signals that explain how this geography differs from state and nation.
Median age
39.6 yrs
Age 18–29
14.6%
Age 65+
18.3%
Foreign born
9.3%
Non-English at home
16.0%
English only
84.0%
Turnout in Rockford, IL
Estimated using 2020 Census voting-age population.
57.6%
-3.4pp
252,943
1988–2024
How competitive is Rockford, IL?
TossupAvg margin: R+1.4 (last 3 elections)
2008
D+11.5
2012
D+3.8
2016
R+2.2
2020
R+0.1
2024
R+1.9
13.7pp
3
D+2.2
Do voters in Rockford, IL split their tickets?
Divergence between offices in the same election reveals persuadable voters.
Moderate splitting (53/100)
| Offices | Margin A | Margin B | Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate vs Governor | R+2.6 | R+4.7 | 2.1pp |
Average divergence across office pairs: 9.6pp
Located In
Rockford, IL sits inside these higher-level geographies.
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