Sherrard, IL · standard

ZIP Code 61281

Mercer 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 10, 2026

2,597
26/sq mi: $102,639
Median income: $224,000
Median home value: 27.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Sherrard pairs an upper-quartile household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 17%
household income, US ZIPs: Top 49%
home value, US ZIPs: 26
people per sq mi: 92%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 61281 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 61281 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 99.9 square miles in Sherrard, Mercer County, Illinois. The area is home to 2,597 residents, producing a population density of 26 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 61281 against Illinois and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 61281 sits at $102,639 (28% above the Illinois average), while per-capita income is $49,103. The poverty rate stands at 4.6% and the unemployment rate at 2.1%. On housing, the median home value is $224,000 (17% above the state average) with median rent at $763 per month, and 92.4% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 61281 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 27.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 47.6, and the average commute is 27 minutes. We also surface 9 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Mercer County, so you can benchmark 61281 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 61281

Construction

6
Retail trade

5
Wholesale trade

3
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services

3
Other services (except public administration)

3

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 61281, Sherrard, IL · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-10 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

2,597

Population

99.9

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 61281?

47.6

Median Age

55.2%

Male

44.8%

Female

1.4%

Foreign-Born

White 94.8%

African American 0.0%

Asian 0.5%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.5%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%

Two or More Ethnicities 2.5%

Hispanic or Latino 3.7%

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?

$102,639

Median Household Income

+28% vs state

$49,103

Per Capita Income

4.6%

Poverty Rate

2.1%

Unemployment Rate

26.8 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 61281 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$102,639 Top 17% higher than 83% 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 62.8%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 27.1%

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

What does housing look like?

1,063

Total Housing Units

965

Occupied Units

Vacant Units

2.61

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 92.4%

Renter 7.6%

$224,000

Median Home Value

+17% vs state

$763

Median Rent

1974

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

+70.4%

YoY Change (2024)

267

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+167%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 61281 have increased 70.4% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +167% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+2.5%	147
2021	+1.9%	150
2022	+16.7%	175
2023	-10.6%	156
2024	+70.4%	267

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 30 business establishments in ZIP 61281, employing approximately 96 people with a combined annual payroll of $3,632,000.

Businesses

Employees

$3.6M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Construction	6	20.0%
Retail trade	5	16.7%
Wholesale trade	3	10.0%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	3	10.0%
Other services (except public administration)	3	10.0%

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 61281 vs 61276 →

61264

10,548
61240

5,870
61273

3,316
61281

2,597
61486

1,552
61465

1,213
61413

1,075
61263

530
61276

138

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 61281 ranks #4 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.

61240

$113,220
61281

$102,639
61273

$99,032
61276

$87,750
61263

$86,500
61486

$78,889
61264

$78,068
61413

$73,125
61465

$56,875

What this shows By household income, ZIP 61281 ranks #2 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
61276	Preemption, IL	138	3.7 mi
61263	Matherville, IL	530	5.1 mi
61465	New Windsor, IL	1,213	6.7 mi
61486	Viola, IL	1,552	7.4 mi
61468	Ophiem, IL	104	7.4 mi
61264	Milan, IL	10,548	7.8 mi
61273	Orion, IL	3,316	7.8 mi
61240	Coal Valley, IL	5,870	10.0 mi
61413	Alpha, IL	1,075	10.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Mercer County

Mercer County Sherrard, IL Illinois

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 61281 in? ▼

ZIP code 61281 (Sherrard) 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 61281? ▼

ZIP code 61281 in Sherrard, IL has a population of 2,597 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 61281? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 61281 is $102,639, which is 35% above the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 61281? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 61281 is $224,000, which is 19% below the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 61281? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 61281 is White at 94.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.7% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 61281? ▼

ZIP code 61281 has 30 business establishments employing approximately 96 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 61281? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 61281 are: Construction (6), Retail trade (5), Wholesale trade (3). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 61281? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 61281 increased by 70.4% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 167%. 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 61281? ▼

In ZIP code 61281, 62.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 27.1% 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 61281? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 61281 is 26.8 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 61281? ▼

In ZIP code 61281, approximately 92.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 7.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 61281? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 61281 is 4.6% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.