Population

Milwaukee

569,756

Rockford

147,649

Median Income

Milwaukee

$51,888

Rockford

$53,328

Home Value

Milwaukee

$172,000

Rockford

$120,900

Rent

Milwaukee

$1,033

Rockford

$954

Crime Rate

Milwaukee

14.34

Rockford

10.81

Cost of Living

Milwaukee

96.4

Rockford

90.8

Avg Temp

Milwaukee

48°F

Rockford

N/A

Unemployment

Milwaukee

5.9%

Rockford

8.6%

Loading map…

How Similar Are Milwaukee & Rockford?

Rockford is Milwaukee's #13 most similar city

4/10

4 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Milwaukee

569,756

vs

Rockford

147,649

Different · 74% difference

Milwaukee (569,756) is about 3.9x larger than Rockford (147,649).

Violent Crime

Milwaukee

14.34

vs

Rockford

10.81

Different · 25% difference
🚨

Milwaukee has a 25% higher violent crime than Rockford.

Property Crime

🔒

Milwaukee

27.01

vs

Rockford

25.17

Match · 7% difference

Both cities have similar property crime — just a 7% difference.

Political Leaning

Milwaukee

29.8%

vs

Rockford

63.9%

Different · 53% difference
🗳️

Milwaukee leans Democratic while Rockford leans Republican.

Unemployment

💼

Milwaukee

5.9%

vs

Rockford

8.6%

Different · 31% difference

Rockford has a 31% higher unemployment than Milwaukee.

Median Income

Milwaukee

$51,888

vs

Rockford

$53,328

Match · 3% difference
💰

Both cities have similar median income — just a 3% difference.

Home Values

🏠

Milwaukee

$172,000

vs

Rockford

$120,900

Different · 30% difference

Milwaukee has a 30% higher home values than Rockford.

Education

Milwaukee

16.7%

vs

Rockford

15.5%

Match · 7% difference
🎓

Both cities have similar education — just a 7% difference.

Demographics

🌍

Milwaukee

36.5%

vs

Rockford

55.5%

Different · 34% difference

Rockford has a 34% higher demographics than Milwaukee.

Cost of Living

Milwaukee

96.4

vs

Rockford

90.8

Match · 6% difference
💵

Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 6% difference.

4 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Milwaukee and Rockford share several key characteristics.

At a Glance

0

Milwaukee

vsof 8

0

Rockford

Rockford leads in 4 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — Rockford leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Rockford has a fair market rent (1br) of $852 vs $1,119 in Milwaukee (31% lower). Rockford has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,118 vs $1,338 in Milwaukee (20% lower). Rockford scores 97.2 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 112.6 in Milwaukee.

Overall Cost Index

Milwaukee96.4
Rockford90.8

Housing Index

Milwaukee112.6
Rockford97.2

Food Index

Milwaukee89.7
Rockford90.8

Transportation Index

Milwaukee85.5
Rockford81.5

Healthcare Index

Milwaukee91.7
Rockford92.6

Utilities Index

Milwaukee96.3
Rockford93.9

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Milwaukee$42,403
Rockford$39,932

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Milwaukee$100,226
Rockford$94,385

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Milwaukee$1,119
Rockford$852

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Milwaukee$1,338
Rockford$1,118

Housing Market — Rockford leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Milwaukee has a median home value of $172,000 vs $120,900 in Rockford (42% higher). Rockford has a single-family homes of 64.6% compared to 43.3% in Milwaukee. Rockford has a owner-occupied of 53.8% compared to 41.5% in Milwaukee.

Median Home Value

Milwaukee$172,000
Rockford$120,900

Median Rent

Milwaukee$1,033
Rockford$954

Median Property Tax

Milwaukee$3,575
Rockford$3,219

Owner-Occupied

Milwaukee41.5%
Rockford53.8%

Vacancy Rate

Milwaukee10.4%
Rockford9.6%

Single-Family Homes

Milwaukee43.3%
Rockford64.6%

Jobs & Economy — Rockford leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Milwaukee: 281,280 vs Rockford: 69,339 for labor force. Milwaukee has a work from home of 11.3% compared to 7.9% in Rockford. Milwaukee has a unemployment rate of 5.9% compared to 8.6% in Rockford.

Median Household Income

Milwaukee$51,888
Rockford$53,328

Per Capita Income

Milwaukee$29,679
Rockford$30,409

Poverty Rate

Milwaukee23.3%
Rockford21.9%

Unemployment Rate

Milwaukee5.9%
Rockford8.6%

Labor Force

Milwaukee281,280
Rockford69,339

Mean Commute

Milwaukee20 min
RockfordN/A

Work from Home

Milwaukee11.3%
Rockford7.9%

Private Sector

Milwaukee88.3%
Rockford91.6%

Government Sector

Milwaukee42.6%
Rockford44.5%

Crime & Safety — Rockford leads

Source: FBI UCR

Rockford has a robbery rate (per 1k) of 1.07 compared to 3.08 in Milwaukee. Rockford has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.13 compared to 0.24 in Milwaukee. Rockford has a property crime clearance of 13.0% compared to 6.4% in Milwaukee.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Milwaukee14.34
Rockford10.81

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Milwaukee27.01
Rockford25.17

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Milwaukee0.24
Rockford0.13

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Milwaukee3.08
Rockford1.07

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Milwaukee10.31
Rockford8.91

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Milwaukee3.88
Rockford6.33

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Milwaukee12.55
Rockford14.45

Violent Crime Clearance

Milwaukee40.8%
Rockford52.8%

Property Crime Clearance

Milwaukee6.4%
Rockford13.0%

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

Milwaukee48°F
RockfordN/A

Avg Annual High

Milwaukee53°F
RockfordN/A

Avg Annual Low

Milwaukee43°F
RockfordN/A

Sunny Days per Year

Milwaukee188
RockfordN/A

Annual Rainfall

Milwaukee30.6"
RockfordN/A

Annual Snowfall

Milwaukee13.0"
RockfordN/A

Avg Humidity

Milwaukee73.8%
RockfordN/A

Schools & Education — Milwaukee leads

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Milwaukee has a bachelor's degree or higher of 16.7% compared to 15.5% in Rockford. Milwaukee has a high school diploma or higher of 36.0% compared to 35.6% in Rockford.

Public Schools

Milwaukee0
Rockford0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

MilwaukeeN/A
RockfordN/A

Colleges & Universities

Milwaukee0
Rockford0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Milwaukee16.7%
Rockford15.5%

High School Diploma or Higher

Milwaukee36.0%
Rockford35.6%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Milwaukee has a population of 569,756, about 3.9x the size of Rockford (147,649). Milwaukee skews younger with a median age of 32.2 vs 37.5.

Population

Milwaukee569,756
Rockford147,649

Median Age

Milwaukee32
Rockford38

Avg Household Size

Milwaukee2.4
Rockford2.3

Married Population

Milwaukee24.4%
Rockford32.8%

Foreign Born

Milwaukee10.8%
Rockford12.3%

White

Milwaukee36.5%
Rockford55.5%

Black

Milwaukee38.6%
Rockford21.8%

Hispanic

Milwaukee20.7%
Rockford20.6%

Asian

Milwaukee4.8%
Rockford3.7%

Milwaukee

Rockford

Healthcare

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Rockford: 5 vs Milwaukee: 3 for with emergency services. Milwaukee: 3.3 vs Rockford: 2.8 for avg cms rating (out of 5).

Nearby Hospitals

Milwaukee5
Rockford5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Milwaukee3.3
Rockford2.8

With Emergency Services

Milwaukee3
Rockford5

Transportation & Commute — Milwaukee leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Milwaukee has a public transit of 5.4% compared to 1.0% in Rockford. Milwaukee has a bicycle of 0.5% compared to 0.2% in Rockford. Milwaukee has a work from home of 11.3% compared to 7.9% in Rockford.

Mean Commute Time

Milwaukee20 min
RockfordN/A

Drive Alone

Milwaukee67.8%
Rockford77.2%

Public Transit

Milwaukee5.4%
Rockford1.0%

Bicycle

Milwaukee0.5%
Rockford0.2%

Work from Home

Milwaukee11.3%
Rockford7.9%

Airports

Milwaukee0
Rockford0

Cities Similar to Milwaukee, WI

Compare Milwaukee against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.

🧬

City Comparison

8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.

PopulationIncomeHome ValueSafetyEducationMedian AgeClimateCost of Living

Explore These Cities

Compare Different Cities