Rochester is a village and suburb of Springfield in
Sangamon County, Illinois
Sangamon County is located in the center of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, it had a population of 197,465. Its county seat and largest city is Springfield, Illinois, Springfield, the List ...
, United States. The population was 3,689 at the 2010 census, and 3,713 at a 2018 estimate. The village was settled in 1819, and is located in Rochester Township.
Rochester is part of the
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat and largest city of Sangamon County. The city's population was 114,394 at the 2020 census, which makes it the state's seventh most-populous city, the second largest o ...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...
.
Geography
Rochester is located outside Springfield, Illinois, down Illinois State Route 29. The village is exit 96A off Interstate 55.
Rochester is located at (39.750625, -89.541587).
According to the 2010 census, Rochester has a total area of , of which (or 99.96%) is land and (or 0.04%) is water.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 2,893 people, 1,075 households, and 868 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 1,099 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 98.65%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.28%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.03%
Native American, 0.38%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.03%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 0.10% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.52% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 0.69% of the population.
There were 1,075 households, out of which 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.7% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.2% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 27.5% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $62,891, and the median income for a family was $73,191. Males had a median income of $50,875 versus $35,944 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the village was $26,881. About 0.8% of families and 1.2% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and 0.9% of those age 65 or over.
Parks and recreation
Located on the northwest side of the village is the Rochester Community Park, erected and operated by the Village of Rochester. The late 1990s saw massive expansion on the park, with the addition of a lighted ballfield, multiple soccer fields, and the Friendship Fort, a massive play-structure built in 1998. The park hosts many village events, including "Sparks In The Park", an annual Independence Day festival with vendors, entertainment, a carnival, and a parade. Spanning three days, the event attracts not only the citizens of Rochester, but visitors from the surrounding areas as well.
Rochester is the southeastern end of the
Lost Bridge Trail, a 5.0-mile (8.0 km) trail built by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) atop an abandoned railbed formerly used by the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) railroad. It is operated jointly by IDNR and the Village of Rochester. The trail crosses the South Fork of the Sangamon River near Rochester, and crosses Sugar Creek near Springfield. Sugar Creek carries the outflow from Lake Springfield, a sizable nearby reservoir. The Lost Bridge trail name recalls IDOT's failure to prevent salvagers affiliated with the B&O from dismantling the Sugar Creek bridge for scrap.
IDOT future plans include extending the trail to Taylorville, Illinois along the same railroad bed, and this was partly realized in a recent extension from the trail's original end at State Rte. 29 and N. Main St., across Rochester, to just past the intersection of State Rte. 29 and State St.
Schools
Rochester's schools are part of District 3A, headed by district superintendent Dr. Dan Cox. The district lists its enrollment at 2,322 students for the 2015-2016 year.
The high school lists 785 students for the 2015–2016 school year and the principal is Brent Ashbaugh, the assistant principal is Jamie Toland. The activities director is J R Boudouris. Rochester High School teachers on average make $48,052, while administrators make $87,488 on average with a 13:1 student:staff ratio.
Rochester High School students, along with the rest of the state, are no longer required as part of the state's standardized testing program. The PARCC is the new standard for the state and in the first year of testing 91.9% of all freshmen are on track to graduate (Illinois statewide is 82.4%) and in 2016 Rochester had an overall graduation rate of 99% (94% in 4 years) as compared to the state rate of 86%.
Construction on a new wing to the high school began in July 2005, and was finished in August 2006. Demolition of the old Rochester Junior High building also took place in the summer of 2006, and junior high students occupied most of the new wing until the new junior high facility was fully completed. A new auditorium was also being constructed for the district, and it was scheduled to be completed in early 2007. The new junior high facility was completed by January 2008. The new auditorium was completed in time for the spring musical, The Wizard of Oz, in 2008.
Sports championships
Rochester High School teams have won the following championships:
*2007, girls soccer team won the 2A State Championship.
*2010, football team was undefeated and became the Class 4A State Champions.
*2011, football team was 12-2 and won the 4A State Championship for the second straight year.
*2012, football team won the 4A State Championship for a third year in a row.
*2013, football team won the 4A State Championship for the fourth year in a row.
*2014, football team won the 4A State Championship for the fifth year in a row.
*2015, girls golf team won the Class A State Championship.
*2015, girls soccer team won the 2A State Championship.
*2016, girls soccer team won th
2A State Championship for the second year in a row
*2016, football team won the 4A State Championship for the sixth time in seven years.
*2017, football team won the 4A State Championship for the seventh time in eight years.
*2019, football team won the 5A State Championship as a result of reclassification in regards to the Chicago Teachers Strike.
References
External links
* Village of Rochester Website
* Rochester CUSD 3A Schools
* Rochester Fire Protection District
* Rochester Public Library
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Villages in Sangamon County, Illinois
Villages in Illinois
Springfield metropolitan area, Illinois
Populated places established in 1819