ZIP 62013 vs ZIP 62036

This side-by-side compares ZIP 62013 (Brussels, IL) and ZIP 62036 (Golden Eagle, IL) using the same Census ACS 5-Year table fields for both — no averages swapped in, no national proxies. ZIP 62013 has a population of 552 at 9 people per square mile, while ZIP 62036 has 704 at 10 per square mile. That difference in population size and density alone reshapes how every other metric should be interpreted — a higher-income ZIP with 1,200 residents behaves very differently from one with 45,000.

On income and education, ZIP 62013 reports a median household income of $72,750 against $103,409 in ZIP 62036, with per-capita income of $25,555 vs $36,635. The share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 19.8% in 62013 and 23.0% in 62036. Poverty rate reads 16.4% vs 2.3%, and unemployment 2.0% vs 11.4% — these four fields alone drive most of the difference in the scorecard grades you will see for each ZIP.

Housing separates these two ZIPs further: median home value sits at $144,500 in 62013 versus $229,400 in 62036, with median rent of — and $563 per month respectively. Homeownership rate is 83.1% vs 90.6%. When reading the comparison table below, focus on paired metrics rather than single winners — a ZIP with lower home values and lower income is not strictly "worse" if rent-to-income ratios and commute times land in the same zone. Every value is pulled from the exact same ACS table so the two columns are genuinely comparable.