Population
Rock Island
36,758
Independence
121,944
Median Income
Rock Island
$57,292
Independence
$59,480
Home Value
Rock Island
$118,400
Independence
$166,400
Rent
Rock Island
$819
Independence
$1,061
Crime Rate
Rock Island
5.44
Independence
5.72
Cost of Living
Rock Island
88.8
Independence
97.5
Avg Temp
Rock Island
N/A
Independence
N/A
Unemployment
Rock Island
6.5%
Independence
6.0%
How Similar Are Rock Island & Independence?
Independence is Rock Island's #2 most similar city
6 of 10 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Rock Island
36,758
Independence
121,944
Independence (121,944) is about 3.3x larger than Rock Island (36,758).
Violent Crime
Rock Island
5.44
Independence
5.72
Both cities have similar violent crime — just a 5% difference.
Property Crime
Rock Island
27.15
Independence
35.24
Independence has a 23% higher property crime than Rock Island.
Political Leaning
Rock Island
44.4%
Independence
39.5%
Both cities lean Democratic, but Rock Island has a stronger Democratic lean (11% difference).
Unemployment
Rock Island
6.5%
Independence
6.0%
Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 8% difference.
Median Income
Rock Island
$57,292
Independence
$59,480
Both cities have similar median income — just a 4% difference.
Home Values
Rock Island
$118,400
Independence
$166,400
Independence has a 29% higher home values than Rock Island.
Education
Rock Island
14.4%
Independence
14.3%
Both cities have similar education — just a 0% difference.
Demographics
Rock Island
68.0%
Independence
72.2%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 6% difference.
Cost of Living
Rock Island
88.8
Independence
97.5
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 9% difference.
6 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Rock Island and Independence share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Rock Island
0
Independence
Independence leads in 4 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Rock Island leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDRock Island has a fair market rent (1br) of $928 vs $1,197 in Independence (22% lower). Rock Island scores 86.4 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 104.1 in Independence. Rock Island has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,143 vs $1,358 in Independence (16% lower).
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market — Independence leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSIndependence has a median property tax of $1,856 vs $2,861 in Rock Island (54% lower). Independence has a median home value of $166,400 vs $118,400 in Rock Island (29% higher). Rock Island has a median rent of $819 vs $1,061 in Independence (23% lower).
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Independence leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSIndependence: 60,872 vs Rock Island: 18,035 for labor force. Independence has a poverty rate of 15.3% compared to 20.9% in Rock Island. Independence has a work from home of 10.1% compared to 8.8% in Rock Island.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety — Rock Island leads
Source: FBI UCRIndependence has a burglary rate (per 1k) of 4.07 compared to 9.21 in Rock Island. Rock Island has a robbery rate (per 1k) of 0.14 compared to 0.76 in Independence. Rock Island has a violent crime clearance of 49.7% compared to 32.6% in Independence.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education — Independence leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauIndependence has a high school diploma or higher of 39.9% compared to 34.2% in Rock Island.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSIndependence has a population of 121,944, about 3.3x the size of Rock Island (36,758). Rock Island skews younger with a median age of 37.1 vs 38.4.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Rock Island
Independence
Healthcare — Independence leads
Source: CMS Hospital CompareIndependence: 3.4 vs Rock Island: 2.0 for avg cms rating (out of 5). Independence: 5 vs Rock Island: 4 for with emergency services.
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSRock Island has a public transit of 2.4% compared to 0.3% in Independence. Independence has a work from home of 10.1% compared to 8.8% in Rock Island. Independence has a drive alone of 81.2% compared to 76.4% in Rock Island.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Rock Island, IL
Compare Rock Island 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.