Is Rockford a Section 8 Cash-Flow Market?
Rockford is downstate Illinois, and it grades B for Section 8 buy-and-hold: reliable cash flow when you pick the right property. The median 3-bedroom voucher pays roughly $1,470/mo, which supports a purchase near $147,000 if you want the rent to clear the 1% rule going in.
The honest catch is Illinois' property tax, which runs about 2% and is the line item that eats into net yield. CloseHound already weights that drag into Rockford's grade. Screen the area free on CloseHound to see which ZIPs and price points still pencil out after taxes.
Rockford HUD Section 8 voucher rents by ZIP (FY2026)
Official HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents — the voucher ceiling a landlord can collect in each ZIP, by bedroom count.
| ZIP code | 2-bed | 3-bed | 4-bed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61101 | $1,170/mo | $1,550/mo | $1,590/mo |
| 61102 | $1,070/mo | $1,410/mo | $1,450/mo |
| 61103 | $1,110/mo | $1,470/mo | $1,510/mo |
| 61104 | $1,070/mo | $1,410/mo | $1,450/mo |
| 61107 | $1,210/mo | $1,600/mo | $1,640/mo |
| 61108 | $1,180/mo | $1,560/mo | $1,600/mo |
| 61109 | $1,100/mo | $1,460/mo | $1,490/mo |
Source: HUD FY2026 SAFMR. CloseHound underwrites live listings against these exact ceilings.
Downstate IL cashflows; Illinois property tax (~2%) is the catch — already weighted here.
More Section 8 markets in Illinois
Rockford Section 8 FAQ
What's the Section 8 voucher rent for a 3-bed in Rockford?+
The median FY2026 3-bedroom voucher payment in Rockford is about $1,470/mo, with most ZIPs falling between $1,410 and $1,600/mo.
Is Rockford a good Section 8 market?+
Yes, it grades B, meaning reliable cash flow with the right property. It's worth screening regularly rather than carpet-buying.
What's the property-tax drag in Rockford?+
Rockford's effective property tax runs about 2%, the highest cost driver here. Insurance is moderate at roughly 0.8%, so taxes are the line item to underwrite carefully.
How do I find cash-flowing Section 8 deals in Rockford?+
Use CloseHound to screen Rockford ZIPs against the FY2026 voucher rents, then filter for properties priced near or below the ~$147,000 the median rent supports.
Screen Rockford deals free
See which Rockford listings actually cash-flow on the voucher — underwritten and ranked by Deal Score.
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