RANK #17 / 996 · POP 163,817 · WI
PROJECTED GROWTH: +4.1%
The Milton House Museum, a certified Underground Railroad site, offers a unique historical experience in Rock County, Wisconsin. Located in southern Wisconsin near the Illinois border, Rock County is approximately an hour south of Madison. The county seat, Janesville, is known as "Wisconsin's Park Place" with 2,500 acres of parkland and thirteen historic districts. Commute times average under 24 minutes, with local bus services available in Janesville and Beloit, and a shuttle connecting to UW-Whitewater at Rock County. Outdoor recreation is abundant, with miles of trails for biking, hiking, and horseback riding, including portions of the Ice Age Trail, and numerous golf courses and waterways like the Rock River and Lake Koshkonong for fishing and boating.
Rock County offers a quality of life that attracts families and young professionals, with a high homeownership rate. The public school districts in Rock County are generally above average. The economy is driven by diverse sectors, including manufacturing, healthcare, and retail trade. Recent economic developments show growth in construction and manufacturing, with increasing employment in warehousing and food manufacturing. The county has seen investment in sectors like data centers and energy.
Below national median
Below-average climate & terrain
Below national median (13x)
Housing looks undervalued at 3.8x — home prices are low relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
Viridian Janesville Data Center (Former GM Plant)
Viridian Acquisitions LLC
|
$8,000M | Proposed |
|
Meta 'Project Cornmaze' Data Center Campus
Meta (via Cambrin LLC)
|
$1,000M | Proposed |
|
Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) Storage Facility
Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL)
|
$517M | Planned |
|
Dawn Harvest Solar Energy Center
Invenergy (to be owned by We Energies, WPS, MGE)
|
$200M | Under Construction |
|
Paddock Solar Project
Alliant Energy
|
$65M | Operating |
|
North Rock Solar Project
Alliant Energy
|
$50M | Operating |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 996 counties.
Rock County has a Boom Town Index score of 98/100, ranking #17 among 996 U.S. counties. With job growth at +1.3% and a median household income of $70,630, it's an above-average county on economic indicators.
The median home value in Rock County is $193,000 with median rent at $981/month. The income-to-home-value ratio is 0.366, which is more affordable than the national average.
Population growth: +0.2% year-over-year. Job growth: +1.3%. Home values changed +6.9% in the past 12 months.