Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety17#13,023/15,637
Economy23#11,980/15,631
Housing80#2,956/14,977
Health27#11,395/15,609
Healthcare37#9,820/15,650
Environment31#10,650/15,453
Education16#13,105/15,649
Infrastructure29#11,184/15,650
Community35#10,218/15,651
Leisure & amenities72#4,430/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Loves Park, Illinois ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Winnebago County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Rent as share of income · low26.3%
87/100Illinois 29.1%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Distance to an emergency room · low3.5 mi
86/100Illinois 4.0 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesWinnebago County value
Rent-burdened households · low40.4%
85/100Illinois 47.9%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Dentists · high88 /100k
79/100Illinois 86 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWinnebago County value
Home price to income ratio · low2.6×
77/100Illinois 3.2×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
High ozone days · low0 days
76/100Illinois 5 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyWinnebago County value

Weaknesses

Reading scores · low2.54
3/100Illinois 2.97United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWinnebago County value
Math scores · low2.51
4/100Illinois 2.90United States 3.032019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWinnebago County value
Primary care shortage · high18.0
5/100Illinois 6.6United States 6.2Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationWinnebago County value
Violent crime rate · high561 /100k
6/100Illinois 251 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationWinnebago County value
Effective property tax rate · high2.04%
7/100Illinois 1.88%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Time spent in the emergency room · high232 min
7/100Illinois 170 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesWinnebago County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

New homes permittedWorsening
2.8 /1k (2021) → 1.6 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−45%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Home price to income ratioWorsening
1.9× (2015-2019) → 2.6× (2020-2024)
+37%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
85.5% (2015-2019) → 88.6% (2020-2024)
+3.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Poverty rateWorsening
12.2% (2015-2019) → 14.4% (2020-2024)
+2.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Average commute timeImproving
23.5 min (2015-2019) → 21.5 min (2020-2024)
−8.6%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min
Child poverty rateWorsening
20.8% (2015-2019) → 22.1% (2020-2024)
+1.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Loves Park, Illinois improved on 1 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 12 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Property tax−0.6 points2.67% → 2.04%

Declined1

Price / income+0.7×1.9× → 2.6×

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Loves Park, Illinois between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	23.5 min2015-2019	21.5 min2020-2024	−2.0 min	Within the margin of error	71%
Bachelor's degree or higher	25.9%2015-2019	25.7%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	26%
Broadband subscriptions	85.5%2015-2019	88.6%2020-2024	+3.1 points	Within the margin of error	20%
Child poverty rate	20.8%2015-2019	22.1%2020-2024	+1.3 points	Within the margin of error	33%
Effective property tax rate	2.67%2015-2019	2.04%2020-2024	−0.6 points	Improved	95%
High school diploma or higher	92.0%2015-2019	92.8%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	44%
Home price to income ratio	1.9×2015-2019	2.6×2020-2024	+0.7×	Declined	36%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4342015-2019	0.4292020-2024	−0.005	Within the margin of error	55%
Median household income	$59,0592015-2019	$61,8682020-2024	+4.8%	Within the margin of error	11%
Poverty rate	12.2%2015-2019	14.4%2020-2024	+2.3 points	Within the margin of error	25%
Rent as share of income	25.2%2015-2019	26.3%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Within the margin of error	46%
Rent-burdened households	41.2%2015-2019	40.4%2020-2024	−0.7 points	Within the margin of error	59%
Unemployment rate	7.2%2015-2019	6.3%2020-2024	−0.9 points	Within the margin of error	67%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.8%2015-2019	7.3%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	41%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Loves Park, Illinois five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Loves Park, Illinois in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Loves Park, Illinois itself moved −5.6 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

23,502 residents (±472)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 10–19 men (−2.6 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

23,502 residents (±472)

Loves Park, Illinois
Illinois share

White71%16,689
Black7.1%1,661
Hispanic or Latino11%2,513
Asian3.0%†700
American Indian and Alaska Native0.0%†8
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races8.2%1,931

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: White (−9.3 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

16,278 residents (±635)

Loves Park, Illinois
Illinois share

No high school diploma7.2%1,168
High school or GED31%5,100
Some college25%4,077
Associate degree11%1,744
Bachelor's degree15%2,501
Graduate degree10%1,688

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

10,302 households (±421)

Loves Park, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $25k15%1,552
$25k–50k20%2,096
$50k–75k22%2,276
$75k–100k14%1,395
$100k–150k16%1,639
$150k–200k6.4%656
$200k or more6.7%†688

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $25k–50k (−5.0 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

10,302 households (±421)

Loves Park, Illinois
Illinois share

Own61%6,277
Rent39%4,025

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (−7.7 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

3,956 households (±374)

Loves Park, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $75011%†445
$750–1,00023%913
$1,000–1,50049%1,931

Home values

6,277 homes (±425)

Loves Park, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $150k45%2,800
$150k–250k33%2,096
$250k–400k18%1,119

Age of homes

10,675 homes (±396)

Loves Park, Illinois
Illinois share

2010 or later6.6%†703
2000–200919%2,051
1980–199933%3,470

Size of homes

10,675 homes (±396)

Loves Park, Illinois
Illinois share

Studio0.6%†59
1 bedroom5.4%576
2 bedrooms39%4,130

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

11,629 workers (±546)

Loves Park, Illinois
Illinois share

Drive alone81%9,404
Carpool7.9%924
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.5%†54
Bike0.5%†54
Work from home8.8%1,020
Other1.5%†173

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+5.5 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

10,609 workers (±553)

Loves Park, Illinois
Illinois share

Under 15 min37%3,967
15–29 min46%4,921
30–44 min6.3%672

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Rockford, IL

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Winnebago County, the county holding most of Loves Park's residents.

Winnebago County has 6,286 employer establishments, 223 for every 10,000 residents (0.90× the US rate of 248; 0.87× Illinois's), with 117,137 paid employees at an average annual pay of $55,302. The Census Bureau also counts 20,028 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 6,286; 20,028 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 223; US 248 · Illinois 255
Paid employees: 117,137
Average annual pay: $55,302; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Winnebago County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	505	17.9	0.98×About typical	10,076	$20,141	109
Ambulatory health care services	467	16.6	0.80×Fewer than typical	6,780	$82,077	781
Specialty trade contractors	383	13.6	0.88×About typical	2,877	$85,377	1,122
Limited-service restaurants	245	8.7	1.08×About typical	5,414	$18,265	60
Full-service restaurants	218	7.7	1.01×About typical	4,148	$22,609	29
Fabricated metal product manufacturing	213	7.6	4.73×More than typical	7,076	$57,316	48
Lessors of real estate	209	7.4	0.60×Fewer than typical	744	$50,156	1,421
Truck transportation	197	7	1.38×More than typical	1,687	$58,664	631
Automotive repair and maintenance	185	6.6	1.30×More than typical	954	$46,829	250
Services to buildings and dwellings	172	6.1	0.91×About typical	1,108	$42,861	1,284
Religious organizations	149	5.3	0.95×About typical	3,141	$26,764	—
Offices of other health practitioners	145	5.1	0.85×About typical	790	$49,981	305

Rank places for an industry Open Winnebago County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 281,732 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $25.6M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Loves Park, Illinois: $1,091 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $25.6M; +1.8% vs FY2025
Per resident: $1,091; US $1,994
Sole-source: 97%; US 30%
Single offer: 1.1%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Army$13.9M54%
Defense Logistics Agency$4.4M17%
Department of the Air Force$3.4M13%
Department of the Navy$2.9M11%
U.S. Coast Guard$826.7K3.2%
U.S. Customs and Border Protection$274.3K1.1%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

38.7MFY2017
63.8MFY2018
60.8MFY2019
31MFY2020
17.4MFY2021
35.2MFY2022
34.7MFY2023
48.5M

Top industries (NAICS)

Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$24.2M94%
Engine, turbine, and power transmission equipment manufacturing · 3336$627.5K2.4%
Other animal production · 1129$274.3K1.1%
Support activities for air transportation · 4881$203.9K0.8%
Other fabricated metal product manufacturing · 3329$183.5K0.7%
Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing · 3344$78.1K

Largest awards whose ZIP code lies mostly in Loves Park, Illinois

HREE-YEAR, FIRM FIXED PRICE, INDEFINITE DELIVERY INDEFINITE QUANTITY CONTRACT OF THE OVERHAUL/UPGRADE OF THE COMMON HYDRO MECHANICAL UNIT (CHMU) FOR THE T700 ENGINE ON THE UH60/AH64 AIRCRAFT.$14.4M
WOODWARD, INC.· Winnebago County, IL· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Apr 27, 2026 – May 20, 2026· W58RGZ26F0196
MAINTENANCE AND OVERHAUL OF THE COMMON HYDRO-MECHANICAL UNIT IN SUPPORT OF THE UH-60 BLACK HAWK.$12.3M
WOODWARD, INC.· Winnebago County, IL· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Mar 14, 2024 – Apr 29, 2026· W58RGZ24F0248
MAINTENANCE AND OVERHAUL OF THE COMMON HYDRO-MECHANICAL UNIT IN SUPPORT OF THE UH-60 BLACK HAWK.$11.7M
WOODWARD, INC.· Winnebago County, IL· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Jan 26, 2023 – Feb 27, 2026· W58RGZ23F0150

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Loves Park, Illinois, so they do not add up across cities.

Loves Park, Illinois's figures are part of those of Winnebago County, IL and Boone County, IL ($642.3M in FY2026), never added to them: 4.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Loves Park is mostly in Winnebago County.

See federal money in Winnebago County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Loves Park, Illinois is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Rockford, IL39

Other cities and towns in Winnebago County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/1745031

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends