Joy, IL · standard
ZIP Code 61260
Mercer County, Illinois - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 856
- 6/sq mi Low-density area
- $41,645
- Median income Below-median income area
- $96,700
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 12.1%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Joy pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 7th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 9th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 6
- people per sq mi
- 74%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 61260 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 61260 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Joy, Mercer County, Illinois, home to just 856 residents across 152.9 square miles, a density of 6 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 61260 reports a modest median household income of $41,645 (48% below the average Illinois ZIP), while per-capita income is $31,301. The poverty rate is 9.1%, with unemployment at 1.3%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $96,700 (50% below the average Illinois ZIP), and median rent is $643; owner occupancy is 73.9%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 12.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 31.7, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Mercer County, so 61260 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 61260, Joy, IL · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
856
Population
152.9
Area (sq mi)
6
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 61260?
31.7
Median Age
52.6%
Male
47.4%
Female
2.0%
Foreign-Born
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?
$41,645
Median Household Income
-48% vs state ZIP avg
$31,301
Per Capita Income
9.1%
Poverty Rate
1.3%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 61260 ranks among Illinois ZIPs
Joy, IL household income vs. every Illinois ZIP code
Median household income among 1,334 reporting Illinois ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$41,645 4th percentile higher than 4% of 1,334 Illinois ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Illinois 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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
392housing units
392
Total Housing Units
371
Occupied Units
21
Vacant Units
1.99
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$96,700
Median Home Value
-50% vs state ZIP avg
$643
Median Rent
1938
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 6 business establishments in ZIP 61260, employing approximately 31 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,073,000.
6
Businesses
31
Employees
$1.1M
Annual Payroll
0
Industry Sectors
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 61260 vs 61272 →
ZIP 61260 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 61284
Taylor Ridge (61284)
2,292 residents
- 61272
New Boston (61272)
1,504 residents
- 61259
Illinois City (61259)
1,276 residents
- 61260 856
Joy (61260)
856 residents
- 61442 762
Keithsburg (61442)
762 residents
- 61476 407
Seaton (61476)
407 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 61260 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 61260 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 61284
Taylor Ridge (61284)
$100,505 median income
- 61259
Illinois City (61259)
$91,458 median income
- 61476
Seaton (61476)
$88,264 median income
- 61272
New Boston (61272)
$64,167 median income
- 61442
Keithsburg (61442)
$48,750 median income
- 61260
Joy (61260)
$41,645 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 61260 ranks #6 of 6 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 61260, both outside IL so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Mercer County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 61260 in?
ZIP code 61260 (Joy) is located in Mercer County, Illinois. Mercer County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/mercer-il.
What is the population of ZIP code 61260?
ZIP code 61260 in Joy, IL has a population of 856 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 61260?
The median household income in ZIP 61260 is $41,645, which is 45% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 61260?
The median home value in ZIP 61260 is $96,700, which is 65% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 61260?
The largest racial group in ZIP 61260 is White at 92.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 6.0% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 61260?
ZIP code 61260 has 6 business establishments employing approximately 31 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 61260?
In ZIP code 61260, 54.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 12.1% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 61260?
In ZIP code 61260, approximately 73.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 26.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 61260?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 61260 is 9.1% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 61260's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 61260 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Joy, IL ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.