Cedar Rapids vs Rockford
The short version
- Cedar Rapids is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the Rockford area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $129,000 in Rockford and $187,100 in Cedar Rapids.
- Households earn more in Cedar Rapids ($70,424 vs $54,752 median).
- Commutes are shorter in Cedar Rapids (19 vs 22 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Cedar Rapids, IA | Rockford, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 137,935 | 147,384 |
| Growth since 2020 | +0.1% | -1.1% |
| People per square mile | 1,848 | 2,257 |
| Median age | 37.3 | 37.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33% | 24% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $70,424 | $54,752 |
| Median home value | $187,100 | $129,000 |
| Home value to income | 2.7× | 2.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $967 | $985 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 89.0 | 92.2 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 71.4 | 70.1 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $66,700 | $69,100 |
| Homeowners | 69% | 55% |
| Top state income tax | 3.8% | 4.95% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.94% | 8.98% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 18.6 | 21.9 |
| Work from home | 13% | 10% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3.6% | 8.5% |
| Poverty rate | 10.8% | 21.3% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 30° / 13° | 29° / 15° |
| July high / low | 86° / 63° | 84° / 64° |
| Precipitation per year | 39 in | 37 in |
| Snowfall per year | 34 in | 37 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 18 | 15 |
| Nights below freezing | 134 | 136 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 86.7 | 92.4 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 61% | 69% |
| Home prices, past year | +4.9% | +8.1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +35.1% | +63.8% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Cedar Rapids: July to September. Rockford: May and July to September.
Full monthly tables: Cedar Rapids weather by month and Rockford weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $66,700 in Cedar Rapids and $69,100 in Rockford. Moving from Cedar Rapids to Rockford, you would need about $77,700 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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