HarrisDemocratic48.1%70,101TrumpRepublican50.1%72,930OtherAll other candidates1.8%2,572
R+1.9- Lead
- 2,829
- Total
- 145,603
- vs nation
- R+0.5
Akashicmetro area
Rockford, IL
Office (updates table and map)
President margin by year
Place winner margin
2 counties by 2024 margin · County returns · MIT Election Lab
President results by year
Vote totals, margins, and source status
BidenDemocratic48.3%74,598TrumpRepublican48.4%74,744OtherAll other candidates3.2%4,976
R+0.1- Lead
- 146
- Total
- 154,318
- vs nation
- R+4.6
ClintonDemocratic45.2%64,699TrumpRepublican47.5%67,906OtherAll other candidates7.3%10,451
R+2.2- Lead
- 3,207
- Total
- 143,056
- vs nation
- R+4.3
ObamaDemocratic50.8%71,615RomneyRepublican47.0%66,234OtherAll other candidates2.1%2,989
D+3.8- Lead
- 5,381
- Total
- 140,838
- vs nation
- Even
ObamaDemocratic54.9%81,367McCainRepublican43.4%64,289OtherAll other candidates1.7%2,532
D+11.5- Lead
- 17,078
- Total
- 148,188
- vs nation
- D+4.3
KerryDemocratic48.3%68,026BushRepublican51.0%71,914OtherAll other candidates0.7%1,026
R+2.8- Lead
- 3,888
- Total
- 140,966
- vs nation
- R+0.3
GoreDemocratic46.8%58,462BushRepublican50.0%62,433OtherAll other candidates3.1%3,925
R+3.2- Lead
- 3,971
- Total
- 124,820
- vs nation
- R+3.7
ClintonDemocratic45.7%51,609DoleRepublican44.9%50,660OtherAll other candidates9.4%10,650
D+0.8- Lead
- 949
- Total
- 112,919
- vs nation
- R+7.7
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- R+1.9MIT Election Lab
- Population
- 336,5222024 5-year
- Population density
- 424 / sq mi2024 5-year · TIGER/Line
- Land area
- 794 sq miTIGER/Line
- Median household income
- $68,8002024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 64.5%2024 5-year
- Black
- 10.1%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 17.1%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+11.5 in 2008MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+68.8 in 1920MIT Election Lab
- Most similar
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN · twin score 85.7
presidential history
Party record book
Rockford, IL · the strongest Democratic and Republican presidential performances recorded here, measured three ways.
1892–2024 · 34 presidential cycles
Highest vote share
Largest share of the presidential candidate vote cast here.
Democratic
Barack Obama2008
54.9%
81,367 votes · D+11.5
Runner-up · Lyndon B. Johnson, 1964 · 53.9%
Republican
Warren G. Harding1920
81.2%
25,299 votes · R+68.8
Runner-up · Herbert Hoover, 1928 · 80.5%
Most votes
Largest number of votes cast for the party’s presidential nominee here.
Democratic
Barack Obama2008
81,367votes
54.9% of the vote · D+11.5
Runner-up · Joe Biden, 2020 · 74,598 votes
Republican
Donald Trump2020
74,744votes
48.4% of the vote · R+0.1
Runner-up · Donald Trump, 2024 · 72,930 votes
Best relative to the U.S.
This Place’s margin against the national margin in the same election — positive when it leaned toward the party more than the country did.
Democratic
Barack Obama2008
+4.3pts D vs U.S.
Place D+11.5 · U.S. D+7.3
Runner-up · Barack Obama, 2012 · 0.0 pts
Republican
William McKinley1896
+49.6pts R vs U.S.
Place R+55.7 · U.S. R+6.1
Runner-up · Theodore Roosevelt, 1904 · +47.4 pts
U.S. House elections · 2 House
Senate and governor results are in the Office selector at the top of this page.
U.S. House
Each row shows U.S. House votes counted inside this Place. “Vote lead” is the local lead here, not necessarily the winner of the full contest.
| Year | Vote lead | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 29.1%36,266 | 70.9%88,350 | 124,616 |
| 2020 | R | 44.0%65,844 | 56.0%83,937 | 149,781 |
voter registration
Registered voters
Total registered voters, over time
Registered voters
| Year | Total registered |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 127,100 |
| 2018 | 133,232 |
| 2020 | 126,625 |
| 2022 | 144,838 |
| 2024 | 150,926 |
domestic migration
Who moves in and out
Net domestic migration over time
+181 net domestic migration · 2025
20112025
Net −29,660 over 2011–2025 · gain loss
| Year | Net domestic migration |
|---|---|
| 2011 | −3,010 |
| 2012 | −3,520 |
| 2013 | −2,386 |
| 2014 | −3,576 |
| 2015 | −2,944 |
| 2016 | −2,470 |
| 2017 | −2,826 |
| 2018 | −1,994 |
| 2019 | −1,991 |
| 2021 | −1,749 |
| 2022 | −2,151 |
| 2023 | −1,094 |
| 2024 | −130 |
| 2025 | +181 |
Rockford's Winnebago County shifted from reliably Democratic to genuine battleground territory as deindustrialization reshaped its working-class electorate, making it one of Illinois's few metro areas that statewide candidates treat as persuadable.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 11.5 points in 2008 and a Republican high of 68.8 points in 1920. Between 2020 and 2024 the metro moved 1.8 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 1.9 points.
A population of 336,522, a 65% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $68,800 describe the metro. The metro's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI.
Political twins — metros
The metros whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
85.7twin score
% Catholic12-yr trend2024 margin≠ population scale
Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI
81.5twin score
2008–2024 trajectory≠ % unaffiliated
Cleveland, OH
81.5twin score
2008–2024 trajectory% Catholic≠ elasticity
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
Compare two places, side by side
Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →
Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
Rockford, IL, Illinois. Akashic. https://akashic.app/cbsa/40420/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
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Places within Rockford, IL
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Frequently asked questions
How did Rockford, IL, Illinois vote in 2024?
In 2024, Rockford, IL, Illinois voted Republican by 1.9 points (R+1.9), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 145,603 votes cast, 70,101 went Democratic and 72,930 went Republican.
When did Rockford, IL, Illinois last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which Rockford, IL, Illinois voted Democratic was 2012.
How many people live in Rockford, IL, Illinois?
Rockford, IL, Illinois has a population of 336,522 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Rockford, IL, Illinois?
Median household income in Rockford, IL, Illinois is $68,800 — below the national median of $80,734. The Illinois state median is $83,390.
What is the political history of Rockford, IL, Illinois?
Akashic tracks 34 presidential elections in Rockford, IL, Illinois from 1892 to 2024. Of those, 5 went Democratic and 28 went Republican.