Rockford Has A Problem With Its Population Signs

What is the population of Rockford? That number is up for debate depending on which direction you enter the city.

Two population signs on Rockford's northwest side give two different totals.

The sign marking Rockford's city limit for southbound traffic on Main Street reads 152,900 people.

That total is significantly lower if you are entering Rockford while traveling west on Riverside. The population sign across from Cliffbreakers, 700 W. Riverside Blvd., reads 150,115 people.

That is a difference of 2,785 people, or approximately the combined populations of Stillman Valley and Durand, between two signs that are less than a mile apart.

So which sign is correct? The answer depends on which population total you want to use from the U.S. Census Bureau.

According to the last census in 2010, Rockford's population was 152,871. That makes the sign on Main Street closest to the total.

The bureau also lists population estimates on its website for the years when it doesn't have a census.

The 2014 number, the most current estimate on the site, is 149,123. That puts the Rockford city limit sign on Riverside closer to being correct.

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