2023 Best Places to Live in Winnebago County

• Suburb of Rockford, IL

• •
  Rating 4.06 out of 5  33 reviews

Current Resident: One of the most amazing aspects of this town is its environment. There is always a positive atmosphere and a sense of security no matter where you are. The town also offers a variety of locally owned businesses all within a reasonable distance. Overall it is a friendly, diverse, and safe environment for everyone!... Read 33 reviews

• grade A

• grade A

• Population 8,051

• Suburb of Rockford, IL

• •
  Rating 3.46 out of 5  39 reviews

Current Resident: Roscoe, IL has been a wonderful place to grow up. Being a very safe little village of approximately 10,000, I was always able to play in my yard, on the sidewalk, and even in the street without a worry. I have never felt the need to ensure all of my doors and windows are locked simply because it is such a safe community. Furthermore, the residents of Roscoe, IL are some of the kindest, most compassionate people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. If you ever need assistance with anything at all, you are often times able to simply ask your neighbor for help and they are more than willing to help however they can. My only somewhat negative experience with Roscoe is the need for more family oriented activities and businesses.... Read 39 reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A

• Population 11,092

• Suburb of Rockford, IL

• •
  Rating 3.28 out of 5  71 reviews

Current Resident: Loves Park is a beautiful town composed of hard working individuals and run by level headed authorities. This suburban area is cleanly and safe; there is truly not a better place to raise your children. There are plenty of job opportunities throughout the town to help strengthen work ethic upon many. The only con, I say, is the amount of homeless individuals. This does not affect my experience but surely affects others!... Read 71 reviews

• grade B

• grade B minus

• Population 23,223

• Suburb of Rockford, IL

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  8 reviews

Current Resident: I love Cherry Valley! I always feel safe. I live comfortably and I am just ten minutes from grocery stores, fast food, and the mall.... Read 8 reviews

• grade B

• grade C

• Population 2,726

• Suburb of Rockford, IL

• •
  Rating 3.22 out of 5  18 reviews

Current Resident: Great Place to live. The school district is small, but not too small. The city has a great Main Street area. The local park is wonderful and an awesome place to fish.... Read 18 reviews

• grade B

• grade A minus

• Population 7,943

• Suburb of Rockford, IL

• •
  Rating 4.29 out of 5  7 reviews

Niche User: Growing up in Winnebago has taught me how to value the small town vibe. I believe that growing up in a small town has provided me comfort and safety. The area is cornfields surrounding this small town but it is not far away from other heavily populated areas. Rockford is near Winnebago where there are plenty of things to do such as shopping, dining, and going on new adventures such as Rock Cut State Park. People are very nice in Winnebago and will say hello driving by. I would definitely choose to live here again and do it all over and I could see myself coming back to the area to raise my children in the future. Very safe area and great school district. I see this small town expanding but remaining a great town.... Read 7 reviews

• grade B minus

• grade B

• Population 3,323

• City in Illinois

• •
  Rating 3.09 out of 5  428 reviews

Current Resident: I moved to Rockford about 3 years ago. It has been a good experience. There are lots of events during the summer. My neighborhood is very quiet and there are plenty of opportunities for community engagement and participation. The community is very welcoming and there is a wide variety of activities that are low or no cost. There are also many social service agencies in the area. If help is needed there are so many programs that are readily available to assist both individuals and families. The library system in Rockford is very technology forward and offer a wide variety of print and electronic resources. I have not experienced many negative aspects of the town. I have noticed that Police and Emergency services are slow to respond. That is not necessarily a blemish on the town's reputation, but if you do experience an emergency, you may find the wait time for help is a little unsettling. Ultimately, I have found this town to be a great place to call home for both me and my family.... Read 428 reviews

• grade B minus

• grade C+

• Population 148,942

• Suburb of Rockford, IL

• •
  Rating 3.4 out of 5  100 reviews

Current Resident: My experience with Machesney Park has been wonderful. The school district is great and offers many opportunities to students. There are also many opportunities for jobs in different areas. There are a lot of events that are offered to the community throughout the year. The area is growing with more shopping stores being added. We also have more fast foods and chain restaurant opening in the area. There are of course a few more stores or food places that can be added like a Trader Joes. As for entertainment, we have a great Forest preserve that many residence get use out of. We have a place to watch movies, bowl, and parks to explore. There is a great sense of community here with locals selling food and plants.... Read 100 reviews

• grade B minus

• grade B

• Population 22,870

• Suburb of Rockford, IL

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  3 reviews

Current Resident: Its a small close net community... Very friendly... Not many shopping places but has many small business' and family restaurants... Lots of gaming choices... Has older and younger ages lots of family's... Reasonable housing market.... several parks and off road trails... Snowmobile trails, Four/three wheeler tails.... summer activities for all ages. Close to grocery stores. Very rural... Read 3 reviews

• grade B minus

• grade C+

• Population 1,242

• Suburb of Rockford, IL

• •
  Rating 3.9 out of 5  10 reviews

Current Resident: Roscoe is a small town just outside of Rockford Illinois. Everyone is very local and small businesses are supported.... Read 10 reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A+

• Population 20,061

• Suburb of Rockford, IL

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  3 reviews

Current Resident: Rockton is a very good place to live! I moved to Rockton about five years ago from a town that I really did not enjoy. The main pulls of Rockton for my family were the incredibly good schools and the very low crime rates. The high school, Hononegah, is, in fact, very good for academics (but lacking in other areas such as the focus on mental health among students). Overall, it is a great town!... Read 3 reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A

• Population 16,101

• Town in Illinois

• •
  Rating 3.33 out of 5  3 reviews

Niche User: I love my home town Winnebago Illionis there is a population of 3,000 people. I know for a fact that it is a very good place to live compared to other places, because I live about 20 minutes away from Rockford a big city with lots of people and high crime rate. the atmosphere of Winnebago is very small town Friday night football games, coming together to support our community together, and we even have a tractor day. I would definitely make a choice to live here again if I could do it all over again I have had a great experience all around here! Compared to the rest of the country I feel we are pretty well off. All though I do worry of Rockfords crime spilling into our territory at some point. Right now I am beyond satisfied with where I live, if I could change one thing it would be less corn fields and more mountains, forests, and oceans!... Read 3 reviews

• grade B+

• grade B

• Population 748

• Suburb of Rockford, IL

• •
  Rating 3.45 out of 5  11 reviews

Current Resident: I have grown up in Cherry Valley and I love it. My neighborhood is amazing. It is quiet, but there are lots of kids who like to ride their bikes and play outside. It is safe and beautifully kept.... Read 11 reviews

• grade B+

• grade C

• Population 19,304

• Town in Illinois

• •
  Rating 3.73 out of 5  11 reviews

Current Resident: My hometown, Pecatonica will always have a special place in my heart. I've grown to love the town's togetherness, community, and overall homeliness. How the town came together when two young residents were very sick was heartwarming. Or the way all of the local businesses engage with the community, especially around the holidays with events such as the Christmas Walk. In general, the town is very close-knit. If there were anything negative to mention about the town, it would be the often-close-minded nature of some residents. Though there has been much progress in recent years, Pecatonica is still a small town with several outdated ideas. I would also say that it has become increasingly difficult to keep businesses open, as evidenced by the ever-changing ownership of The Third Street Station. However, despite these factors, Pecatonica has still proven itself to be a safe and loving community. We have flaws, yes, but we are better for them.... Read 11 reviews

• grade B+

• grade A

• Population 2,189

• Town in Illinois

• •
  Rating 4.29 out of 5  7 reviews

Current Resident: I love living in Pecatonica. Pecatonica is very family friendly and I love that it is small. I love the "downtown" area with all their shops especially the family ran ice cream store. My son looks forward to going to the ice cream shop after school. They have a couple mom and pop diners which I love. We live right next to the police and fire station and they are all so nice. There's a police car that drives in the neighborhood very often and one day they seen my son who was four at the time, waving, so he politely stopped. The policeman came out with a matchbox police car and gave him a tour of his car. My son lite up, he had so much fun! It's the little things, and I feel that living in a small town you get that commorodity. We love it here.... Read 7 reviews

• grade B

• grade A

• Population 4,127

• Town in Illinois

• •
  Rating 4.22 out of 5  9 reviews

Current Resident: Durand is a very nice small town near the border of Illinois and Wisconsin. Most places of work are around 15 to 30 minutes away, but you can find some employment in town. There is a grocery store, 2 gas stations, and many restaurants. The school is a pretty great place. The academics and athletics are great. Agriculture is also a big part of the school. Since there are many farmers enrolled at this school, there is even an FFA club. There are many more clubs Durand School has to offer, including art club, history club, Spanish club, and more! Students are encouraged to participate in school activities. The staff is very polite and is very welcoming to new students.... Read 9 reviews

• grade B

• grade B

• Population 1,429

• Suburb of Rockford, IL

• •
  Rating 3.33 out of 5  3 reviews

Niche User: I will definitely look for a similar place to live, if not able to live in this area.... Read 3 reviews

• grade B

• grade B

• Population 39,155

• Town in Illinois

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  1 review

• grade B

• grade A+

• Population 863

• Suburb of Rockford, IL

• •
  Rating 4.33 out of 5  3 reviews

Niche User: there are two small towns on our boarder. The keep an excellent amount of officers, and train them well. Also living in the county we see a lot of Troopers and Sheriff's police in the area.... Read 3 reviews

• grade B

• grade B+

• Population 3,626

• Town in Illinois

• grade B

• grade B

• Population 2,561

• Suburb of Rockford, IL

• •
  Rating 3.5 out of 5  2 reviews

Niche User: The neighborhood and street is pretty quiet and friendly.... Read 2 reviews

• grade B minus

• grade B

• Population 5,010

• Town in Illinois

• grade B minus

• grade B

• Population 1,187

• Suburb of Rockford, IL

• grade C+

• grade B

• Population 1,207

• Town in Illinois

• grade C

• grade A

• Population 515