South Rock Island TownshipIL
A town of 18,056, settled in 1878.
Is South Rock Island Township a good place to live?
Overall, South Rock Island Township earns a C: better than 29% of U.S. towns, and 603rd of 767 in Illinois. Its weakest subject is schools — its public schools trail 88% of Illinois towns on state tests and graduation. Cost of living is its strong suit: a typical home costs about $139K, 1.9 years of the Davenport metro’s $73K median household income. Its remaining grades are unremarkable: C+ for incomes and B− for hazard risk. The town’s trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile, above both Illinois’ towns (0.3) and U.S. towns (0.4). The biggest park or preserve is Sunset Park, at 298 acres. This Illinois town is more walkable than 70% of U.S. towns. 14% of the land locally is conserved, above both the Illinois town median (3.6%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%).
Figures: home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · schools, state test and graduation results · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenStreetMap · USGS PAD-US.
What makes South Rock Island Township stand out
Where South Rock Island Township beats most towns.
How South Rock Island Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far South Rock Island Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Rock Island Arsenal and 12 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around South Rock Island Township. Close and well known come first.
3 mi Ancient siteRock Island Arsenal
in town MuseumBlack Hawk State Historic Site
3 mi MuseumFigge Art Museum77K visitors a year
4 mi MuseumPutnam Museum8 mi Zoo & aquariumNiabi Zoo
4 mi GardenVander Veer Botanical ParkPhoto credits
Rock Island Arsenal: Robert A, Ryan, J. Ceronia, and Bruce A. Harms, Photographers, Public domain · Black Hawk State Historic Site: Bill Whittaker (talk). Original uploader was Billwhittaker at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Figge Art Museum: Ctjf83, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Putnam Museum: Ctjf83 of English Wikipedia (log), Public domain · Vander Veer Botanical Park: David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
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Moving to South Rock Island Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in South Rock Island Township, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in South Rock Island Township.
South Rock Island Township keeps 13.6% of its land conserved
There are 9.3 miles of trail across 8 parks and preserves. Parks and preserves in South Rock Island Township: 8, covering 576 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Black Hawk Forest Nature Preserve | 4.8 mi | 177 |
| 2. Sunset Park | 0.2 mi | 298 |
| 3. Ben Williamson Park | — | 42 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
South Rock Island Township’s grade for schools is a D
Two of the 9 schools are below, and why each made the list. Its public schools are run by Rock Island SD 41. 5 public schools serve South Rock Island Township, with 1,894 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Jr High SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 529 | C+ |
| Rock Island High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,812 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IL on state tests and graduation
Residents of South Rock Island Township are less healthy than three in four U.S. towns
15% of adults report frequent physical distress in South Rock Island Township. In South Rock Island Township, 41% of adults have obesity, and 19% report frequent mental distress.
| South Rock Island Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 13% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 18% | 19% |
| What stands out | South Rock Island Township | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.3% | 10.3% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 11.2% | 7.8% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 11.3% | 8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in South Rock Island Township
Expect July afternoons of 85° and January nights of 14°, with about 36 inches of snow a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most of South Rock Island Township’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.8 jobs for each of them
26% of working residents cross a state line to work, Davenport among the top destinations. The average commute for its 7,732 working residents takes 20.1 minutes, against 27.8 across Illinois.
Most working residents leave South Rock Island Township for work: only 10% work in town. Its typical journey to work comes in at 20 minutes. The top destinations are Rock Island (24%), Davenport (17%) and Moline (14%). The share of residents in South Rock Island Township who live below the poverty line: 12%.
| South Rock Island Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $70,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
South Rock Island Township is older than the Illinois average
23% of South Rock Island Township residents are 65 or older. Among adults 25 and older, 28% have a four-year degree or more, against 38% across Illinois. The Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate puts South Rock Island Township at 18,056 residents, down 2.3% since 2020. For South Rock Island Township, the midpoint age is 43.2 years.
| South Rock Island Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 23% | 19% | 18% |
| Median age | 43.2 years | 40.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 20% | 22% | 22% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.2 points. Across Illinois, 50.6% of residents are women. Median age: women 46.7, men 40.4.
| South Rock Island Township | IL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.9% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.4% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.9% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12% | 13.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.9% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.8% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.5% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.4% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.2% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.3% | 9.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.9% | 25.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 27.6% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.9% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.6% | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.6% | 15.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
South Rock Island Township faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
South Rock Island Township has had 31 paid flood insurance claims since 1978. FEMA expects less storm and flood damage locally than in 57% of U.S. communities.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Everything we know about South Rock Island Township
Colleges nearby
7 within 15 miles of the center of South Rock Island Township
About 2 of every 100 South Rock Island Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
About South Rock Island Township
Township in Illinois, United States
South Rock Island Township is located in Rock Island County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, its population was 18,407 and it contained 8,951 housing units. South Rock Island Township formed from Rock Island Township on March 1, 1878.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1878
- Area
- 7.5 sq mi
South Rock Island Township’s neighbors
8 towns share a border with South Rock Island Township.
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Rock Island Township | #603 | C | B+ | — | D | C |
| Blackhawk Township | #494 | B− | B+ | — | C− | B− |
| Rock Island Township | #671 | C− | B+ | — | D | C |
| Moline Township | #490 | B− | B | — | C+ | C+ |
| Rock Island | #719 | D | B+ | D | D | C |
| Milan | #605 | C | A− | C− | D | C+ |
| Moline | #612 | C | B | D | C+ | C+ |
| South Moline Township | #524 | C+ | B | — | C | C+ |
South Rock Island Township, Blackhawk Township, Rock Island Township, Moline Township and South Moline Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare South Rock Island Township with a neighbor →
Questions about South Rock Island Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is South Rock Island Township, IL a good place to live?
South Rock Island Township grades C overall, better than 29% of U.S. towns and #603 of 767 in Illinois. It grades C for health and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.
Is South Rock Island Township, IL expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.