City profile · Michigan · Census ACS 2023

Rockford, MI

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Rockford - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

6,162
Residents
$100,156
Median income
$294,800
Median home
$1,531
Median rent (state)

Rockford - the verdict

Nationally, Rockford sits in the 78th percentile for household income and the 68th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

78th
percentile, household income
64th
percentile, home value
61st
percentile, median rent
68th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Rockford, MI

6,162 people live in Rockford, Michigan - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $100,156 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 3.2%. Rockford's housing stock carries a median value of $294,800, and the median resident age is 40.9 years. 46.9% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 69.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 16 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Slowing), down 11% from five years earlier. Rockford reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 889.5 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Living costs in Michigan run below the national norm: the state registers 96.2 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,531 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Michigan run around $238, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 92.2 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

6,162 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Michigan

Median Household Income

$100,156 /yr

Poverty 3.2%

Cost of Living Index (state)

96.2 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Michigan average

How does Rockford compare to other US cities?

Here's how Rockford stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 78% higher than other cities
Home value 64% pricier than other cities
Median rent 61% pricier than other cities
Safety 68% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Michigan, Rockford ranks #90 of 254 Michigan cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Rockford's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Michigan, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

78thIncome percentile
68thSafety percentile

78th percentile nationally for median household income · 68th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Rockford's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Rockford's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 61 Avg. percentile National median
Rockford's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Rockford's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$294,800 36th percentile more affordable than 36% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). This entry sits in this band. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Rockford $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Rockford, MI Rockford, MI's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Rockford, MI-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Rockford, MI median $100,156/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Rockford, MI's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Rockford, MI. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 46.9%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 3.2%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 69.3%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
6,162
Median Income
$100,156
Median Home Value
$294,800
Median Age
40.9
Poverty Rate
3.2%
Labor force participation
69.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
46.9%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
889.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
97.0
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
792.5
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
13
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
6,150 residents6,200 residents6,250 residents6,300 residents6,350 residents 202020212022202320242025 6,179 residents 6,313 residents ▲ +2.2%
Rockford's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

🏗️ Slowing
Total Permits (2024)
16
housing units authorized
Single-Family
16
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.6
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 18
2020 29
2021 18
2022 18
2023 14
2024 16

Permit volume decreased 11% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
72.7%
Carpool
5.6%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.6%
Work from Home
20.5%
Other
0.6%

Based on 3,349 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Michigan - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$105
avg/month
Natural Gas
$85
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$48
avg/month
Total Utilities
$238
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Michigan state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Michigan state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Rockford sits in

Cost of Living Index
96.2
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,531/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
92.2 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Michigan

Lake Fenton
6,168 people
Ishpeming
6,173 people
Northville
6,080 people
Milan
6,070 people
Manistee
6,275 people
Huntington Woods
6,322 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Rockford's 6,162 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Corry, PA
6,162 people
Doolittle, TX
6,162 people
Northford, CT
6,161 people
North Scituate, MA
6,163 people
Bulverde, TX
6,164 people
Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, FL
6,159 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Rockford's $100,156 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Steamboat Springs, CO
$100,156 median income
Pacheco, CA
$100,152 median income
Lely Resort, FL
$100,163 median income
Cordry Sweetwater Lakes, IN
$100,167 median income
Nisswa, MN
$100,167 median income
Round Top, NY
$100,167 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Rockford, MI Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Rockford, MI - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 91.7% 6.0% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.5% White 91.7% Black or African American 2.2% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.0% Two or more races 6.0% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Rockford compares to nearby Michigan cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Rockford (this city) 6,162 $100,156
Lake Fenton 6,168 $112,676
Ishpeming 6,173 $52,717
Northville 6,080 $143,875
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MI FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Rockford, MI?

What is the population of Rockford, MI? +

Rockford, MI has a population of 6,162 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Rockford, MI? +

Median annual household income in Rockford runs $100,156, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Rockford? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Rockford; the closest available measure is the Michigan state average, a cost of living index of 96.2 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Michigan vary by metro area.

Is Rockford, MI safe? +

Rockford has a total crime rate of 889.5 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Rockford, MI? +

Rockford's median home value sits at $294,800, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.