Prophetstown, IL · standard

ZIP Code 61277

Whiteside 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 11, 2026

3,355
10/sq mi: $70,363
Median income: $148,200
Median home value: 16.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

47th pct
household income, US ZIPs: 25th pct
home value, US ZIPs: 10
people per sq mi: 77%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 61277 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 61277 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 328.9 square miles in Prophetstown, Whiteside County, Illinois. The area is home to 3,355 residents, producing a population density of 10 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 61277 against Illinois and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 61277 sits at $70,363 (12% below the Illinois average), while per-capita income is $38,872. The poverty rate stands at 9.5% and the unemployment rate at 6.7%. On housing, the median home value is $148,200 (23% below the state average) with median rent at $801 per month, and 76.5% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 61277 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 16.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44, and the average commute is 27 minutes. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Whiteside County, so you can benchmark 61277 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 61277

Retail trade

10
Other services (except public administration)

10
Construction

7
Finance and insurance

7
Wholesale trade

6

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 61277, Prophetstown, IL · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-11 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

3,355

Population

328.9

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 61277?

44.0

Median Age

50.6%

Male

49.4%

Female

1.1%

Foreign-Born

White 90.2%

African American 1.7%

Asian 1.3%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.1%

Two or More Ethnicities 5.9%

Hispanic or Latino 1.9%

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?

$70,363

Median Household Income

-12% vs state

$38,872

Per Capita Income

9.5%

Poverty Rate

6.7%

Unemployment Rate

27.2 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 61277 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$70,363 47th percentile higher than 47% 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 50.9%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 16.4%

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

What does housing look like?

1,330

Total Housing Units

1,167

Occupied Units

163

Vacant Units

2.48

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 76.5%

Renter 23.5%

$148,200

Median Home Value

-23% vs state

$801

Median Rent

1956

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

+5.7%

YoY Change (2022)

159

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+59%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 61277 have increased 5.7% over the past year (2022). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +59% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2018	+9.8%	140
2019	-6.1%	131
2020	+8.9%	143
2021	+5.1%	150
2022	+5.7%	159

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 2022. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 65 business establishments in ZIP 61277, employing approximately 748 people with a combined annual payroll of $34,057,000.

Businesses

748

Employees

$34.1M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Retail trade	10	15.4%
Other services (except public administration)	10	15.4%
Construction	7	10.8%
Finance and insurance	7	10.8%
Wholesale trade	6	9.2%
Health care and social assistance	6	9.2%
Accommodation and food services	4	6.2%
Manufacturing	3	4.6%
Real estate and rental and leasing	3	4.6%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	3	4.6%

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 61277 vs 61258 →

61277

3,355
61283

1,640
61261

975
61251

347
61258

204

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 61277 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.

61251

$79,464
61277

$70,363
61261

$64,375
61283

$64,063
61258

$44,261

What this shows By household income, ZIP 61277 ranks #2 of 5 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
61258	Hooppole, IL	204	5.9 mi
61261	Lyndon, IL	975	8.3 mi
61283	Tampico, IL	1,640	7.6 mi
61251	Fenton, IL	347	11.3 mi

More ZIP Codes in Whiteside County

Whiteside County Prophetstown, IL Illinois

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 61277 in? ▼

ZIP code 61277 (Prophetstown) is located in Whiteside County, Illinois. Whiteside County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/whiteside-il.

What is the population of ZIP code 61277? ▼

ZIP code 61277 in Prophetstown, IL has a population of 3,355 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 61277? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 61277 is $70,363, which is 8% below the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 61277? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 61277 is $148,200, which is 47% below the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 61277? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 61277 is White at 90.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.9% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 61277? ▼

ZIP code 61277 has 65 business establishments employing approximately 748 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 61277? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 61277 are: Retail trade (10), Other services (except public administration) (10), Construction (7). There are 10 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 61277? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 61277 increased by 5.7% in 2022. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 59%. 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 61277? ▼

In ZIP code 61277, 50.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 16.4% 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 61277? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 61277 is 27.2 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.

What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 61277? ▼

In ZIP code 61277, approximately 76.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 23.5% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 61277? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 61277 is 9.5% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.