Jobs, pay and daily life in Freeport, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Freeport is a city in Illinois with 23,505 residents. The median household earns $51,723 a year and the median rent is $793 a month, which is 18.4% of the median household income. The nearest metropolitan area with BLS wage data is Rockford, IL (137,650 jobs), about 29 miles away; this place is probably not part of it, so its pay tables are a reference only.
How Freeport compares. Among the 100 largest places in Illinois, Freeport is #100 by population, #1 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #94 for household income (#1 = highest), #90 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Stephenson County, is #32 of 102 counties for average pay ($55,932).
Freeport has 23,505 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of Illinois. It covers 12 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,981 people per square mile. The median age is 42.8, 10% older than the state median (42.8 against 39.0).
The median gross rent is $793 a month (rent plus utilities), 38% below the state median ($793 against $1,274). Over a year that is 18.4% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $92,100, which is 1.8 times the median household income ($51,723); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 59.0% of households own their home, 12% below the state average (59.0% against 67.1%).
The nearest metropolitan area with wage data is Rockford, IL, metropolitan area has 137,650 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $47,120 a year, 8% below the national median ($47,120 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are production (16,500 jobs, median $46,670); transportation and material moving (16,390 jobs, median $44,200); office and administrative support (13,760 jobs, median $45,570). The area is most specialised in production (2.2 times) and transportation and material moving (1.4 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($105,510) and healthcare practitioners and technical ($80,000). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Stephenson County was 3.8%. 58.0% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Stephenson County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 74.4% drive alone, 1.0% use public transit, 2.5% walk, 10.1% work from home. 9.1% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 54% below the state average (9.1% against 19.7%).
19.1% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 50% below the state share (19.1% against 37.9%). 3.3% of residents were born outside the United States, 77% below the state share (3.3% against 14.8%). The poverty rate is 19.6%, 66% above the state rate (19.6% against 11.8%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 73°F (22.8°C), and the coolest is Jan at 19°F (-7.1°C). About 965 mm (38 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (129 mm) and Jan the driest (38 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Rockford (29 miles, rent 24% higher); Beloit (35 miles, rent 34% higher); Belvidere (38 miles, rent 25% higher); Janesville (42 miles, rent 33% higher). Rent differences are against Freeport; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Illinois (1,066) →State guide: IllinoisCountry guideStephenson CountyIllinois rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,066 federal postings open in Illinois (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Illinois →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 5,940 | 2.27 | $44,200 | $33,420 | $50,410 | +10% |
| Registered Nurses | 4,620 | 1.54 | $80,930 | $66,320 | $112,790 | -17% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 3,630 | 1.07 | $31,640 | $31,200 | $35,310 | +1% |
| Cashiers | 3,620 | 1.32 | $31,680 | $31,200 | $37,380 | -4% |
| General and Operations Managers | 3,340 | 1.08 | $98,390 | $50,640 | $210,940 | -7% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 3,130 | 2.52 | $45,670 | $35,670 | $66,040 | +2% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 3,110 | 1.24 | $36,020 | $31,200 | $45,820 | -4% |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,970 | 0.86 | $33,540 | $31,200 | $47,000 | -5% |
| Nursing Assistants | 2,120 | 1.65 | $40,140 | $37,440 | $48,810 | -5% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2,070 | 0.90 | $43,260 | $31,210 | $64,210 | -3% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 2,010 | 1.03 | $35,970 | $31,200 | $46,470 | -2% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 2,000 | 0.52 | $37,270 | $32,560 | $39,380 | +4% |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,000 | 0.92 | $43,400 | $31,200 | $61,460 | -4% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 1,980 | 1.46 | $53,610 | $35,900 | $78,850 | +8% |
| Machinists | 1,800 | 7.10 | $49,700 | $36,750 | $72,420 | -15% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,710 | 0.85 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $46,540 | -11% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,690 | 0.93 | $59,900 | $38,660 | $88,590 | +2% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 1,530 | 1.25 | $64,200 | $47,020 | $97,770 | +0% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 1,470 | 1.17 | $32,020 | $31,200 | $46,300 | -13% |
| Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | 1,380 | 4.11 | $40,990 | $31,200 | $51,740 | -5% |
These figures are for the nearest metropolitan area with wage data, Rockford, IL, about 29 miles away. They show what the regional labour market pays; they are not a measure of this city.
Median pay across all occupations: $47,120 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.4% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 26.3% |
| Manufacturing | 20.8% |
| Retail trade | 10.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 8.0% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 7.0% |
| Other services | 6.1% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.3% |
| Construction | 4.5% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.4% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 3.3% |
| Public administration | 1.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.5% |
| Information | 0.5% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Freeport lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephenson County | 43,768 | $2,485 million | $56,782 | 17,367 | 1,019 | $55,932 | +1.3% | 3.8% | 20,958 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3,278 | 22.5% | $67,497 | 2.30 |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,550 | 17.5% | $57,207 | 1.02 |
| Retail trade | 1,651 | 11.4% | $33,523 | 0.95 |
| Construction | 1,606 | 11.0% | $100,417 | 1.76 |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,136 | 7.8% | $42,848 | 1.11 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,003 | 6.9% | $20,641 | 0.64 |
| Finance and insurance | 697 | 4.8% | $72,267 | 0.99 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 588 | 4.0% | $47,337 | 4.18 |
| Wholesale trade | 545 | 3.7% | $53,300 | 0.80 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 535 | 3.7% | $32,744 | 1.02 |
| Professional and technical services | 455 | 3.1% | $81,372 | 0.38 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 172 | 1.2% | $16,329 | 0.59 |
| Real estate and rental | 106 | 0.7% | $44,950 | 0.39 |
| Educational services | 101 | 0.7% | $32,798 | 0.28 |
| Information | 91 | 0.6% | $44,331 | 0.28 |
| Management of companies | 23 | 0.2% | $72,519 | 0.08 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 74.4% |
| Public transit | 1.0% |
| Walk | 2.5% |
| Work from home | 10.1% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 9.1% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,723 |
| Income per person | $31,004 |
| Median gross rent per month | $793 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 18.4% |
| Median home value | $92,100 |
| Homeowners | 59.0% |
| Poverty rate | 19.6% |
| Price level of the nearest metro area (US = 100) | 92.2 |
| Nearest metro median pay, all occupations | $47,120 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 4.95%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 42.8 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 91.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 19.1% |
| Born abroad | 3.3% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 58.0% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -7.1 | 19 | 38 |
| Feb | -5.5 | 22 | 43 |
| Mar | 1.6 | 35 | 60 |
| Apr | 8.3 | 47 | 93 |
| May | 14.7 | 58 | 108 |
| Jun | 20.4 | 69 | 129 |
| Jul | 22.8 | 73 | 104 |
| Aug | 21.7 | 71 | 107 |
| Sep | 17.5 | 64 | 93 |
| Oct | 9.9 | 50 | 80 |
| Nov | 2.8 | 37 | 56 |
| Dec | -4.0 | 25 | 54 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockford | IL | 29 mi | 147,521 | $54,752 | $985 |
| Beloit | WI | 35 mi | 36,534 | $62,663 | $1,066 |
| Belvidere | IL | 38 mi | 24,752 | $64,528 | $991 |
| Janesville | WI | 42 mi | 66,030 | $73,446 | $1,054 |
| Clinton | IA | 44 mi | 24,322 | $60,230 | $791 |
| Stoughton | WI | 49 mi | 13,033 | $79,551 | $1,157 |
| Verona | WI | 49 mi | 15,232 | $119,606 | $1,605 |
| Fitchburg | WI | 49 mi | 32,619 | $86,516 | $1,373 |
| DeKalb | IL | 52 mi | 40,443 | $46,481 | $1,029 |
| Madison | WI | 56 mi | 278,001 | $78,050 | $1,413 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
23,505 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$793 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 18.4% of the median household income.
$51,723 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.8% (BLS county, Stephenson County (latest month 2026M09)).
Illinois. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.