Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety92#76/924
Economy76#221/925
Housing88#111/925
Health74#241/925
Healthcare45#504/923
Environment35#596/917
Education55#415/925
Infrastructure39#562/925
Community74#238/925
Leisure & amenities53#439/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Rochelle, IL micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Property crime rate · low362 /100k
97/100Illinois 1,508 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Drug overdose deaths · low7.0 /100k
95/100Illinois 14.2 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Poverty rate · low8.4%
95/100Illinois 11.5%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.411
94/100Illinois 0.481United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Public libraries · high1.8 /10k
94/100Illinois 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
Uninsured residents (under 65) · low5.1%
93/100Illinois 8.1%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010

Weaknesses

Effective property tax rate · high1.80%
4/100Illinois 1.88%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
New business applications · low7.5 /1k
5/100Illinois 14.9 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.4 /10k
9/100Illinois 1.1 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Average commute time · high26.0 min
17/100Illinois 27.8 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Distance to an emergency room · high9.6 mi
18/100Illinois 4.0 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties
Adult obesity · high40.9%
18/100Illinois 39.0%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

New homes permittedImproving
0.6 /1k (2021) → 1.5 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+145%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Gyms and fitness centersWorsening
1.2 /10k (2020) → 0.4 /10k (2025)
−66%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
PharmaciesImproving
1.0 /10k (2020) → 1.6 /10k (2025)
+61%5 yearsUS 1.9 /10k → 1.8 /10k
Drought exposureImproving
53% (2021) → 42% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−11 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
15.8 /100k (2021) → 7.0 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−56%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
56.8% (2010 & 2021) → 67.6% (2022 & 2024)
+11 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%

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, Rochelle, IL micropolitan area improved on 12 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 10 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved12

Pharmacies+61%1.0 /10k → 1.6 /10k
Overdose deaths−64%19.3 /100k → 7.0 /100k
Household income+35%$60,986 → $82,132
Property crime−47%686 /100k → 362 /100k
Restaurants+6%11.0 /10k → 11.7 /10k

Declined5

Suicides+73%11.3 /100k → 19.5 /100k
Gyms−66%1.2 /10k → 0.4 /10k
Arts & recreation−26%3.7 /10k → 2.7 /10k
Firearm deaths+42%7.9 /100k → 11.2 /100k
Traffic deaths+13%13.7 /100k → 15.5 /100k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Rochelle, IL micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.7 /10k2020	2.7 /10k2025	−26%	Declined	3%
Average commute time	25.9 min2015-2019	26.0 min2020-2024	+0.1 min	Within the margin of error	63%
Average weekly wage	$9912020	$1,1892025	+20%	Improved	21%
Bachelor's degree or higher	21.4%2015-2019	24.3%2020-2024	+2.9 points	Improved	51%
Broadband subscriptions	81.5%2015-2019	88.4%2020-2024	+7 points	Improved	24%
Child poverty rate	14.5%2015-2019	11.5%2020-2024	−3 points	Within the margin of error	57%
Distance to an airport	68 mi2020	68 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	19.3 /100k2020	7.0 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−64%	Improved	93%
Effective property tax rate	1.95%2015-2019	1.81%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	58%
Firearm deaths	7.9 /100k2020	11.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+42%	Declined	12%
Grocery stores	1.9 /10k2020	1.9 /10k2025	+0.7%	Little change	54%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.2 /10k2020	0.4 /10k2025	−66%	Declined	2%
High school diploma or higher	90.2%2015-2019	91.1%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	25%
Home price to income ratio	2.4×2015-2019	2.3×2020-2024	−0.1×	Within the margin of error	98%
Homicide rate	3.8 /100k2020	2.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−32%	Improved	58%
Income adjusted for local prices	$51,3872019	$67,4722024	+31%	Improved	48%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4052015-2019	0.4112020-2024	+0.006	Within the margin of error	36%
Median household income	$60,9862015-2019	$82,1322020-2024	+35%	Improved	84%
New business applications	4.9 /1k2020	7.5 /1k2025	+54%	Improved	62%
Pharmacies	1.0 /10k2020	1.6 /10k2025	+61%	Improved	100%
Poverty rate	9.5%2015-2019	8.4%2020-2024	−1.2 points	Within the margin of error	56%
Property crime rate	686 /100k2020	362 /100k2025	−47%	Improved	82%
Public libraries	1.8 /10k2019	1.8 /10k2024	−1.2%	Little change	54%
Rent as share of income	24.6%2015-2019	24.8%2020-2024	+0.2 points	Within the margin of error	55%
Rent-burdened households	37.1%2015-2019	38.0%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	50%
Restaurants and bars	11.0 /10k2020	11.7 /10k2025	+6%	Improved	68%
Suicide rate	11.3 /100k2020	19.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+73%	Declined	4%
Traffic deaths	13.7 /100k2015-2019	15.5 /100k2020-2024	+13%	Declined	39%
Unemployment rate	7.7%2020	4.7%2025	−3 points	Improved	51%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	5.6%2015-2019	5.1%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	58%
Violent crime rate	114 /100k2020	114 /100k2025	+0.1%	Little change	26%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Rochelle, IL micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Rochelle, IL micropolitan area 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, Rochelle, IL micropolitan area itself moved −2.6 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

51,495 residents

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: 70–79 men (+1.0 points).

Table view

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

Race and Hispanic origin

51,495 residents

Rochelle, IL micropolitan area
United States share

White83%42,746
Black1.2%627
Hispanic or Latino12%6,144
Asian0.6%289
American Indian and Alaska Native0.0%†22
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%†2
Other or two or more races3.2%1,665

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: White (−3.8 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

36,064 residents (±124)

Rochelle, IL micropolitan area
United States share

No high school diploma8.9%3,205
High school or GED34%12,148
Some college22%7,820
Associate degree11%4,133
Bachelor's degree16%5,838
Graduate degree8.1%2,920

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Some college (−2.4 points).

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

20,821 households (±310)

Rochelle, IL micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k13%2,674
$25k–50k16%3,409
$50k–75k16%3,354
$75k–100k17%3,496
$100k–150k21%4,401
$150k–200k8.5%1,764
$200k or more8.3%1,723

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $25k–50k (−7.9 points).

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

20,821 households (±310)

Rochelle, IL micropolitan area
United States share

Own75%15,693
Rent25%5,128

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

Table view

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

Rent paid

4,827 households (±387)

Rochelle, IL micropolitan area
United States share

Under $75030%1,438
$750–1,00029%1,417
$1,000–1,50031%1,493

Home values

15,693 homes (±418)

Rochelle, IL micropolitan area
United States share

Under $150k33%5,127
$150k–250k37%5,826
$250k–400k22%3,476
$400k–750k

Age of homes

22,682 homes (±81)

Rochelle, IL micropolitan area
United States share

2010 or later3.5%805
2000–200912%2,706
1980–199921%4,826

Size of homes

22,682 homes (±81)

Rochelle, IL micropolitan area
United States share

Studio1.0%†232
1 bedroom6.9%1,558
2 bedrooms23%5,125

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

23,732 workers (±647)

Rochelle, IL micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone81%19,124
Carpool8.3%1,962
Public transit0.3%†70
Walk1.6%†388
Bike0.2%†56
Work from home8.0%1,898
Other1.0%†234

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+2.9 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

21,834 workers (±646)

Rochelle, IL micropolitan area
United States share

Under 15 min30%6,482
15–29 min35%7,623
30–44 min21%4,548

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 no occupation wages for Rochelle, IL micropolitan area.

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.

Rochelle, IL has 1,053 employer establishments, 205 for every 10,000 residents (0.83× the US rate of 248), with 13,596 paid employees at an average annual pay of $52,965. The Census Bureau also counts 3,256 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,053; 3,256 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 205; US 248
Paid employees: 13,596
Average annual pay: $52,965; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	86	16.7	1.08×About typical	437	$80,531	255
Restaurants and other eating places	69	13.4	0.73×Fewer than typical	945	$17,789	10
Truck transportation	59	11.5	2.27×More than typical	255	$67,169	117
Ambulatory health care services	55	10.7	0.51×Fewer than typical	448	$53,473	116
Religious organizations	54	10.5	1.90×More than typical	243	$20,004	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	42	8.2	1.62×More than typical	237	$40,857	70
Lessors of real estate	40	7.8	0.63×Fewer than typical	62	$48,984	269
Full-service restaurants	34	6.6	0.86×About typical	321	$18,016	5
Construction of buildings	33	6.4	0.85×About typical	71	$65,028	115
Gasoline stations	32	6.2	1.92×More than typical	366	$32,344	—
Limited-service restaurants	31	6	0.75×Fewer than typical	600	$17,737	3
Other specialty trade contractors	30	5.8	2.33×More than typical	168	$98,798	78

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 51,369 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $0 on contracts performed in Rochelle, IL micropolitan area: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; 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

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

393.8KFY2017
447.4KFY2018
21.6KFY2019
214KFY2020
518.6KFY2021
3.6KFY2022
-533.8FY2023
-214.4KFY2024

What was bought

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.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $367.6M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Rochelle, IL micropolitan area: $7,151 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $367.6M; −9.8% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,151; US $12,955
Loan face value: $7.3M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 2.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$227.6M62%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$25.1M6.8%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$23M6.2%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$21.3M5.8%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$20.5M5.6%
14.872 · Public Housing Capital Fund$7.1M1.9%
14.850 · Public Housing Operating Fund$5.5M1.5%
20.278 · National Highway Freight Program (NHFP)$5.2M1.4%

Top recipients (organizations)

ROCKFORD HOUSING AUTHORITY$26.9M7.3%
ROCKFORD, IL
ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$11.1M3.0%
SPRINGFIELD, IL
WINNEBAGO COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY$9.6M2.6%
ROCKFORD, IL
GREATER ROCKFORD AIRPORT AUTHORITY$5.2M1.4%
ROCKFORD, IL
OGLE COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$278.2M76%
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$36.7M10.0%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$24.1M6.6%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$11.1M3.0%
Department of Transportation
Farm Service Agency

Assistance by fiscal year

274.7MFY2021
289.7MFY2022
322.2MFY2023
340.3MFY2024
407.5MFY2025
367.6MFY2026

County aggregates

83%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Rochelle, IL

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Ogle CountyCentral county7751,399

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

RochellePrincipal city9,529

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Illinois

Areas based in Illinois, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M40300

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved12

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Rochelle, IL micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Getting to work

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

What was bought

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Rochelle, IL

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Illinois

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved12

Declined5

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Household income

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

What was bought

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type