ZIP Code 61081

ZIP code 61081 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 319.7 square miles in Sterling, Whiteside County, Illinois. The area is home to 21,934 residents, producing a population density of 69 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 61081 against Illinois and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 61081 sits at $67,586 (16% below the Illinois average), while per-capita income is $38,370. The poverty rate stands at 12.2% and the unemployment rate at 4.1%. On housing, the median home value is $123,400 (36% below the state average) with median rent at $870 per month, and 72.8% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 61081 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 22.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 43.3, and the average commute is 20 minutes. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Whiteside County, so you can benchmark 61081 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 →