PlainZIP

Thomson, IL · standard

ZIP Code 61285

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

1,631
16/sq mi
$68,500
Median income
$173,100
Median home value
10.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

44th pct
household income, US ZIPs
36th pct
home value, US ZIPs
16
people per sq mi
78%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 61285 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 61285 covers 102.6 square miles in Thomson, Carroll County, Illinois (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,631 residents on file, a density of 16 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 61285 reports a modest median household income of $68,500 (14% below the Illinois average), while per-capita income is $18,594. 15.7% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 5.1%. The typical home here is valued at $173,100 (10% below the state average); renters pay a median of $903 monthly, and 78.0% of units are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 10.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.6, and the average commute is 26 minutes. Beyond these figures, 4 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Carroll County, letting you compare 61285 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline alone.

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 61285, Thomson, 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

1,631

Population

102.6

Area (sq mi)

16

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 61285?

41.6

Median Age

76.8%

Male

23.2%

Female

7.8%

Foreign-Born

White 67.9%
African American 21.7%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.2%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.5%
Hispanic or Latino 14.1%

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?

$68,500

Median Household Income

-14% vs state

$18,594

Per Capita Income

15.7%

Poverty Rate

5.1%

Unemployment Rate

25.9 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 61285 ranks nationally

Thomson, IL household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$68,500 44th percentile higher than 44% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

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 46.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 10.4%

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

What does housing look like?

809

Total Housing Units

586

Occupied Units

223

Vacant Units

2.23

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 78.0%
Renter 22.0%

$173,100

Median Home Value

-10% vs state

$903

Median Rent

1974

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 20 business establishments in ZIP 61285, employing approximately 194 people with a combined annual payroll of $18,514,000.

20

Businesses

194

Employees

$18.5M

Annual Payroll

2

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 6 30.0%
Accommodation and food services 5 25.0%

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 61285 vs 61252 →

ZIP 61285 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 61285 ranks #5 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

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

ZIP 61285 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 61285 ranks #2 of 5 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
61252 Fulton, IL 5,436 9.8 mi
61053 Mount Carroll, IL 2,852 10.2 mi
61074 Savanna, IL 4,431 10.8 mi
61270 Morrison, IL 7,306 11.3 mi

More ZIP Codes in Carroll County

61074 standard
Savanna, IL
Pop: 4,431
61053 standard
Mount Carroll, IL
Pop: 2,852
61046 standard
Lanark, IL
Pop: 2,831
61051 standard
Milledgeville, IL
Pop: 1,574
61078 standard
Shannon, IL
Pop: 1,374
61014 standard
Chadwick, IL
Pop: 1,173

Related Areas

Carroll County Thomson, IL Illinois

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 61285 in? ▼
ZIP code 61285 (Thomson) is located in Carroll County, Illinois. Carroll County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/carroll-il.
What is the population of ZIP code 61285? ▼
ZIP code 61285 in Thomson, IL has a population of 1,631 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 61285? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 61285 is $68,500, which is 10% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 61285? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 61285 is $173,100, which is 38% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 61285? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 61285 is White at 67.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 14.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 61285? ▼
ZIP code 61285 has 20 business establishments employing approximately 194 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 61285? ▼
In ZIP code 61285, 46.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 10.4% 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 61285? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 61285 is 25.9 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 61285? ▼
In ZIP code 61285, approximately 78.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 22.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 61285? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 61285 is 15.7% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.