Birch Avenue-White Oak

Davis Park at Founders Landing includes these iconic Rockford letters.

Birch Avenue and White Oak Avenue are apt names for this wooded east Rockford neighborhood.

Edgebrook Indoor Farmer's Market happens on Wednesday mornings during winter in Rockford.

The Great Harvest Bread Company is a fabulous lunuch spot for Birch Avenue-White Oak locals.

Birch Avenue-White Oak homes include a variety of styles including Colonial and ranch.

Homes in Birch Avenue-White Oak rarely go on sale, and the median price is about $373,000.

Neighborhood in Rockford, Illinois

Winnebago County 61114

$320,780 Average Value

A community built into its natural surroundings in northeast Rockford

Frank Lloyd Wright famously told his students: “Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.” This can be a difficult thing to accomplish living within city limits, but the residential streets from Birch Avenue to White Oak Avenue have a natural setting of their own, with towering trees shrouding homes in leafy greens and earth tones. These homes neighbor Wright’s Laurent House, which was built to accommodate a wheelchair-bound client and allow him to enjoy the scenery from the comfort of his home. In the seven decades since, the neighborhood has certainly done their part to keep that nature intact—well-trimmed yards include stone-bordered gardens, and accent plants surrounding each towering tree.

Heavily wooded lots north of Spring Creek Road

Birch Avenue, Hickory Avenue and White Oak Avenue are apt names for these residential streets, which are engulfed in vibrant greenery most of the year and leave lots of leaves to rake come fall. Yards are sunnier on White Oak Avenue than Birch Avenue, but not by much, and turnaround driveways are often partially or fully hidden by trees and shrubbery. DIY fences, sheds and piles of firewood are common sights on these lots that reach up to half an acre. Many of the ranch-style homes adhere to the Prairie School tradition, which took stylistic inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright’s work. Hipped roofs, long lines, central chimneys, wood siding are characteristics of many homes here. Colonial-style homes and a few eclectic Tudor-styles join the mix, most with built-in garages for one to two vehicles. “No parking” signs protect streets closest to the Laurent House museum to mitigate traffic around residential areas. Homes rarely go on sale in this corner of Rockford. Four sold in 2024, ranging from a 3-bedroom ranch-style home priced at $190,000 to a 5-bedroom ranch-style for $380,000.

Ranch homes are commonly found on the residential streets of Birch Avenue-White Oak.

A few eclectic Tudor-styles are scattered throughout Birch Avenue-White Oak.

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Rockford community gardens and city parks near Spring Creek Road

Johnson Tract, one of two community gardens run by the Rockford Park District, is located just northeast of this community. Those interested in growing vegetables and flowers enter the lottery to snag a plot each year, while others renew their applications. Locals drive 1.5 miles through a residential area to reach Landstrom Park, a playground with a zipline, hurricane spinner and swing set in view of nearby picnic tables and tennis courts. Landstrom is directly behind Forest Hills Country Club, a member of the National Audubon Society for Golf Courses known for its wooded terrain. More of Rockford’s parks are westward along the Rock River, like the expansive Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens. “The city has put in a lot more bike lanes in the last 5 years,” says Whitney Martin, director of Made for Rockford, a campaign aimed at new residents. “The bike paths go to the YMCA, closer to downtown along the Rock River, and to Loves Park and other communities.” Spring Brook Road included dedicated bike lanes that connect to the wider system.

Johnson Tract Rockford Park District Site is located in Rockford, Illinois.

Japanese Summer Festival is an event at the Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford.

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Heading to Gray’s Foods or Loves Park shopping

With grocery stores and restaurants so close by, residents likely don't need to travel farther into Rockford for essentials. Gray's Food Stores on North Alpine Road is next door to Great Harvest Bread Co., which stocks breads and muffins made with Montana wheat. Salamone's North serves pizzas for delivery or dine-in from another shopping center just east of Guilford High School, along with Jerry's Cafe, a casual breakfast restaurant. Alternatively, residents can head 3 miles up North Alpine Road to shopping in Loves Park, with ALDI and Walmart Supercenter as the main big-box offerings.

Walmart is a short drive away from Birch Avenue-White Oak, along Kilburn Avenue.

Aldi is a popular grocery store to stock up on goods in Birch Avenue-White Oak.

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Public and private schools in East Rockford

Birch Avenue-White Oak neighbors Spring Creek Elementary School, which scores a C-plus from Niche. Eisenhower Middle School scores a C, and Guilford High School scores a B and offers an average student-teacher ratio of 20 to 1 for a student body of over 2,000. All four Rockford public high schools offer The Academies of Rockford program, where students choose a career-oriented pathway through their four years from topics like Health, Business, and Engineering. Charter and tuition-based private school options are both available and popular in Rockford, as well. Maria Montessori at Marsh teaches kindergarten through 8th grade and scores a C-plus from Niche. The school hosts combined co-ed sports like soccer and football with Eisenhower Middle. Christian Life Schools sits right across the street from Guilford High, teaching prekindergarten through 12th grade and earning a B from Niche.

Guilford High School, which scores a B from Niche, serves families of Rockford.

Spring Creek Elementary School, near Birch Avenue-White Oak, scores a C-plus from Niche.

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Getting downtown and around Rockford

The Birch Avenue-White Oak neighborhood is a bit too far out of range for Rockford Mass Transit District (RMTD) bus routes. The area is car-dependent save for bike lanes along Spring Brook Road. Locals can take Spring Creek Road for a good portion of the 5-mile drive to downtown Rockford’s city parks, offices, museums and events. UW Health N Mulford Rd Immediate Care is the closest healthcare facility for drop-in appointments. The nearest emergency room is about 4 miles away at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center, across the street from Rockford University. Flights take off from Chicago Rockford International Airport, 9.5 miles southeast of the neighborhood.

Coronado Haskell is walkable to the Rockford Mass Transit Authority.

A fun trolley runs alongside the Rock River Recreation Trail.

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Written By

Emma Downes

Video By

Andrew Perrius

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Agents Specializing in this Area

Kimberly Taylor

NextHome First Class

(815) 908-5519

820 Total Sales

1 in Birch Avenue-White Oak

$210,000 Price

Kimberly Taylor
Susan Macino

Responds Quickly

@properties Christie's International Real Estate

(630) 576-9734

149 Total Sales

1 in Birch Avenue-White Oak

$256,500 Price

Susan Macino
Vic Nafranowicz

Responds Quickly

Vic Nafranowicz Inc., Realtors

(815) 706-2437

53 Total Sales

1 in Birch Avenue-White Oak

$214,000 Price

Vic Nafranowicz
Karina Chavez

Responds Quickly

eXp Realty

(224) 900-2913

170 Total Sales

1 in Birch Avenue-White Oak

$300,000 Price

Karina Chavez
Matt Humpal

Re/Max Property Source

(779) 210-6667

107 Total Sales

2 in Birch Avenue-White Oak

$48K - $380K Price Range

Matt Humpal
Tina Tendall

Gambino Realtors

(815) 957-5393

392 Total Sales

2 in Birch Avenue-White Oak

$206,000 Price Range

Tina Tendall

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Schools

Source:

Guilford High School

9th to 12th
Public

Eisenhower Middle School

6th to 8th
Public

Spring Creek Elementary School

K to 5th
Public

B-

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Interested in learning more about homes in this area? Reach out to Kimberly Taylor, an experienced agent in this neighborhood.

Anderson Japanese Gardens

Picnic Area
Trails

Johnson Tract Rockford Park District Site

Oak Park

Mercyhealth Sportscore One

Transit

Airport

Chicago/Rockford International

25 min drive

Crime and Safety

1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime	Birch Avenue-White Oak	US
Homicide	3	4
Sexual Assault	3	4
Assault with Weapon	2	4
Robbery	2	4
Burglary	2	4
Motor Vehicle Theft	2	4
Larceny	2	4
Crime Score	2	4

Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com

Neighborhood Facts

Number of Homes in Neighborhood

Source: Public Records

Homes for Sale

$224,032
- 3 Beds
- 2.5 Baths
- 2,261 Sq Ft
4814 Spring Creek Rd
This cape cod style single family home offers 3 bedrooms and 2.1 bathrooms with approximately 2261 square feet of living space on a 0.53 acre lot. The foreclosure deed has been recorded, allowing for shorter closing timelines. No Buyer Premium on this property. The buyer has the right to select their own title/closing company. The buyer is responsible for all closing costs in this transaction. It

Anthony Disano Parkvue Realty Corporation

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Interested in learning more about homes in this area? Reach out to Kimberly Taylor, an experienced agent in this neighborhood.

Source: Public Records

Property Mix - Square Feet

This Neighborhood Has More Owners

Demographics

Total Population

150

Median Age

Population Density

3 ppl/acre

Population under 18

18%

Below the national average

23.8%

Population over 65

40.7%

Above the national average

19.1%

Finances

Median Household Income

$81,250

Above the national average

$71,702

Average Household Income

$85,174

Education and Workforce

High School Graduates

94.8%

College Graduates

57.8%

Above the national average

34.1%

Advanced Degrees

25.9%

% Population in Labor Force

50.4%

Below the national average

65.1%

Weather

Annual Precipitation

37''

Average Winter Low Temperature

15°F

Average Summer High Temperature

84°F

Annual Snowfall

34''

Area Factors

Somewhat Bikeable

Bike Score^®

30 / 100

Car-Dependent

Walk Score^®

8 / 100

Source: Walk Score

Nearby Neighborhoods

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Martin Shorewood

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North End Square

Historic community neighboring Rockford's Main Street with ties to the Civil War

Palmwood

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Illinois Winnebago County Rockford

Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.

Kimberly Taylor