Lena, IL · standard

ZIP Code 61048

Stephenson County, Illinois — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

Reviewed by PlainZIP Editorial Team, ZIP Code Data Editors · June 13, 2026

4,360
20/sq mi: $82,875
Median income: $166,600
Median home value: 24.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Lena pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 35%
household income, US ZIPs: 33th pct
home value, US ZIPs: 20
people per sq mi: 83%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 61048 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 61048 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 215.8 square miles in Lena, Stephenson County, Illinois. The area is home to 4,360 residents, producing a population density of 20 people per square mile, and falls within the Chicago time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 61048 against Illinois and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 61048 sits at $82,875 (4% above the Illinois average), while per-capita income is $42,107. The poverty rate stands at 3.0% and the unemployment rate at 2.3%. On housing, the median home value is $166,600 (13% below the state average) with median rent at $664 per month, and 82.8% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 61048 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 24.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 47.2, and the average commute is 26 minutes. We also surface 6 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Stephenson County, so you can benchmark 61048 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →

Top industries in ZIP 61048

Construction

17
Retail trade

17
Other services (except public administration)

14
Transportation and warehousing

13
Manufacturing

11

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 61048, Lena, IL · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-13 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

4,360

Population

215.8

Area (sq mi)

People / sq mi

Chicago

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard

Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.

View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 61048?

47.2

Median Age

50.5%

Male

49.5%

Female

0.5%

Foreign-Born

White 95.9%

African American 0.3%

Asian 0.0%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.3%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%

Two or More Ethnicities 3.4%

Hispanic or Latino 1.3%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$82,875

Median Household Income

+4% vs state

$42,107

Per Capita Income

3.0%

Poverty Rate

2.3%

Unemployment Rate

25.7 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 61048 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$82,875 Top 35% higher than 65% of 30,318 US ZIPs

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 55.3%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 24.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

1,768

Total Housing Units

1,641

Occupied Units

127

Vacant Units

2.27

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 82.8%

Renter 17.2%

$166,600

Median Home Value

-13% vs state

$664

Median Rent

1973

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+5.3%

YoY Change (2024)

162

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+62%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 61048 have increased 5.3% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +62% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+10.2%	122
2021	+3.6%	126
2022	+40.9%	178
2023	-13.4%	154
2024	+5.3%	162

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 132 business establishments in ZIP 61048, employing approximately 1,304 people with a combined annual payroll of $69,687,000.

132

Businesses

1,304

Employees

$69.7M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Construction	17	12.9%
Retail trade	17	12.9%
Other services (except public administration)	14	10.6%
Transportation and warehousing	13	9.8%
Manufacturing	11	8.3%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	9	6.8%
Accommodation and food services	9	6.8%
Wholesale trade	8	6.1%
Real estate and rental and leasing	8	6.1%
Finance and insurance	7	5.3%
Health care and social assistance	6	4.5%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	4	3.0%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	4	3.0%
Information	3	2.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 61048 vs 61089 →

61048

4,360
61062

1,983
61089

867
61050

376
61044

232
61059

141
61027

52

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 61048 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.

61048

$82,875
61044

$82,083
61050

$74,728
61062

$66,667
61089

$66,250
61059

$54,113

What this shows By household income, ZIP 61048 ranks the highest of 6 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
61089	Winslow, IL	867	6.3 mi
61027	Eleroy, IL	52	5.4 mi
61062	Pearl City, IL	1,983	9.0 mi
61044	Kent, IL	232	6.0 mi
61050	Mc Connell, IL	376	6.5 mi
61059	Nora, IL	141	7.2 mi

More ZIP Codes in Stephenson County

Stephenson County Lena, IL Illinois

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 61048 in? ▼

ZIP code 61048 (Lena) is located in Stephenson County, Illinois. Stephenson County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/stephenson-il.

What is the population of ZIP code 61048? ▼

ZIP code 61048 in Lena, IL has a population of 4,360 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 61048? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 61048 is $82,875, which is 9% above the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 61048? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 61048 is $166,600, which is 40% below the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 61048? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 61048 is White at 95.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.3% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 61048? ▼

ZIP code 61048 has 132 business establishments employing approximately 1,304 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 61048? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 61048 are: Construction (17), Retail trade (17), Other services (except public administration) (14). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 61048? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 61048 increased by 5.3% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 62%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

What is the education level in ZIP code 61048? ▼

In ZIP code 61048, 55.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 24.1% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).

What is the average commute time in ZIP 61048? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 61048 is 25.7 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.

What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 61048? ▼

In ZIP code 61048, approximately 82.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 17.2% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 61048? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 61048 is 3.0% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.