Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
11% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Rock City, against 29% in Illinois’ towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Among 769 Illinois towns, just 6 have a lower January low than Rock City. Rock City has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Rock City beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 161 in 1880, 293 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 1850 and 2 maps from 1932 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rock City, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Rock City.
Most working residents leave Rock City for work: only 1% work in town. At 31 minutes, Rock City’s average trip to work is above both Illinois’ towns (26 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). 4.5% of Rock City residents live below the poverty line.
| Rock City | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 4.5% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.4% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $68,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Rock City home is worth about $228,000, up 8.8% in a year, 23% below the Illinois typical home. The median rent in Rock City is $842 a month.
| Rock City | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $842 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 80% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Rock City has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 12° and about 35 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Rock City beats the Illinois average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 20% of adults binge drink in Rock City.
| Rock City | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 11% | 12% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 35% | 36% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 18% | 19% |
| What stands out | Rock City | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.8% | 15.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.8% | 9.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.2% | 7.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Rock City
About 8 of every 100 Rock City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
Where Rock City’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Village in Illinois, United States
Rock City is a village in Stephenson County, Illinois. As of the 2020 census, Rock City had a population of 293.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Rock City has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.