Rockford vs Schaumburg
The short version
- Rockford is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 11% lower than in the Schaumburg area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $129,000 in Rockford and $330,400 in Schaumburg.
- Households earn more in Schaumburg ($97,514 vs $54,752 median).
- Commutes are shorter in Rockford (22 vs 28 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Rockford, IL | Schaumburg, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 147,384 | 77,249 |
| Growth since 2020 | -1.1% | -1.9% |
| People per square mile | 2,257 | 3,985 |
| Median age | 37.7 | 39.6 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24% | 50% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $54,752 | $97,514 |
| Median home value | $129,000 | $330,400 |
| Home value to income | 2.4× | 3.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $985 | $1,812 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 92.2 | 103.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 70.1 | 112.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $69,100 | $77,700 |
| Homeowners | 55% | 63% |
| Top state income tax | 4.95% | 4.95% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.98% | 8.98% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 21.9 | 27.8 |
| Work from home | 10% | 20% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 4% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 8.5% | 3.5% |
| Poverty rate | 21.3% | 5.7% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 29° / 15° | 32° / 19° |
| July high / low | 84° / 64° | 85° / 66° |
| Precipitation per year | 37 in | 38 in |
| Snowfall per year | 37 in | 38 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 15 | 17 |
| Nights below freezing | 136 | 121 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 92.4 | 100.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 69% | 30% |
| Home prices, past year | +8.1% | +6.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +63.8% | +45.5% |
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: Rockford: May and July to September. Schaumburg: May to October.
Full monthly tables: Rockford weather by month and Schaumburg weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $69,100 in Rockford and $77,700 in Schaumburg. Moving from Rockford to Schaumburg, you would need about $84,300 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Rockford and Schaumburg
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Rockford and Schaumburg.
Which would you pick?
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