Rockford is a town in

Spokane County, Washington Spokane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 539,339, making it the fourth-most populous county in Washington. The largest city and county seat is Spokane, the second largest ...

, United States. The population was 522 at the 2020 census.

History

Rockford was first settled in 1878 by D.C. Farnsworth. The town took its name from a rocky ford on Rock Creek. A post office was established in 1880. The

Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company The Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company (OR&N) was a rail and steamboat transport company that operated a rail network of running east from Portland, Oregon, United States, to northeastern Oregon, northeastern Washington, and northern Id ...

brought the railroad to Rockford in 1889, and Rockford was incorporated as a town a year later in 1890.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , all of it land. Rockford is located in southeastern Spokane County in the rolling agricultural region of the

Palouse The Palouse ( ) is a geographic region of the northwestern United States, encompassing parts of North Central Idaho, north central Idaho, southeastern Washington (part of eastern Washington), and by some definitions, parts of northeast Oregon. ...

. It is located in a valley where Mica Creek flows into Rock Creek. Mica Creek flows from the north while Rock Creek flows from the southeast, the latter of which turns to a northwesterly direction in the town. The surrounding plateau rises nearly 300 feet above the valley floor to an elevation of approximately 2,600 feet above sea level.

Transportation

Washington State Route 27 State Route 27 (SR 27) is a State highways in Washington, state highway serving Whitman County, Washington, Whitman and Spokane, Washington, Spokane counties, located in the Eastern Washington, eastern region of the U.S. state of Wa ...

runs north-south along the eastern edge of the community, connecting Rockford with the town of Fairfield, Washington, six miles by road to the south. Approximately 15 miles by road north along State Route 27 is the The City of Spokane Valley, part of the larger

Spokane Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south ...

urban area. Washington State Route 278 begins at State Route 27 in Rockford and heads east just over five miles to the

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

state line. State Route 278 runs through Rockford along Emma and First Streets, passing through the center of the community.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 470 people, 192 households, and 136 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 213 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 92.6%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.4%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 3.0% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 1.7% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 3.0% of the population. There were 192 households, of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.2% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.78. The median age in the town was 44.9 years. 19.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 33.4% were from 45 to 64; and 16.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.2% male and 49.8% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 413 people, 149 households, and 111 families living in the town. The population density was 607.1 people per square mile (234.5/km²). There were 169 housing units at an average density of 248.4 per square mile (96.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.34%

, 0.24%

, 0.48% Native American, and 1.94% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.48% of the population. There were 149 households, out of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.17. In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 29.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $40,227, and the median income for a family was $45,125. Males had a median income of $31,339 versus $25,417 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $16,411. About 11.9% of families and 12.1% 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 ...

, including 18.4% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.

Gallery

Rockford PO.jpg, Rockford Post Office Rock Creek Rockford.jpg, Rock Creek from the Emma Street Bridge Rockford Park.jpg, Rockford City Park and SE Spokane County Fair bandstand

References

External links

* {{Authority control Towns in Spokane County, Washington Towns in Washington (state)