How many people live in Winnebago County, IL?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 283,800 people living in Winnebago County, IL. That makes Winnebago County the seventh-most populous county in Illinois. It is home to 2.2% of people living in the state.
284K
population of Winnebago County, IL (2024)
2.2%
County share of the Illinois population (2024)
About 283,800 people lived in Winnebago County, IL in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Winnebago County, IL’s age demographics?
About 54,500 Winnebago County, IL residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 19.2% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 17.9% of Illinois' population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 66,000 Winnebago County residents, or 23.3% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 21.2% of Illinois’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A lower share of Winnebago County, IL's population is aged 25–44 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Winnebago County, IL’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 63.3% of the Winnebago County, IL population, higher than the national share of 57.5%. Winnebago County, IL also has a larger share of people identifying as non-Hispanic Black or African American (13.9%) than the US overall (12.6%).
In contrast, Winnebago County’s Hispanic population accounts for 16.6%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Asian population makes up 3.1% of the county, compared with 6.5% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Winnebago County, IL has a higher share of a non-Hispanic white population than Illinois as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Winnebago County, IL is Rockford with about 136,900 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Winnebago County, IL ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Rockford (pt.) | 136,870 |
| 2. | Machesney Park (pt.) | 22,481 |
| 3. | Loves Park (pt.) | 11,345 |
| 4. | Loves Park (pt.) | 10,673 |
| 5. | Rockford (pt.) | 10,018 |
| 6. | Roscoe (pt.) | 6,305 |
| 7. | Rockton (pt.) | 5,862 |
| 8. | South Beloit (pt.) | 5,195 |
| 9. | Roscoe (pt.) | 3,218 |
| 10. | Winnebago | 2,907 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
