Benson, IL · standard
ZIP Code 61516
Woodford County, Illinois - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 720
- 9/sq mi Low-density area
- $81,833
- Median income Near-median income area
- $118,100
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 18.6%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Benson pairs an above-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 36%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 16th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 9
- people per sq mi
- 97%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 61516 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 61516 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Benson, Woodford County, Illinois, home to just 720 residents across 81.8 square miles, a density of 9 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 61516 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $81,833 (2% above the average Illinois ZIP), while per-capita income is $42,046. The poverty rate is 2.4%, with unemployment at 4.1%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $118,100 (38% below the average Illinois ZIP), and median rent is $950; owner occupancy is 97.4%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 18.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.4, and the average commute is 26 minutes. The page also surfaces 8 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Woodford County, so 61516 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 61516, Benson, 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
720
Population
81.8
Area (sq mi)
9
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 61516?
40.4
Median Age
51.0%
Male
49.0%
Female
0.6%
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?
$81,833
Median Household Income
+2% vs state ZIP avg
$42,046
Per Capita Income
2.4%
Poverty Rate
4.1%
Unemployment Rate
25.8 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 61516 ranks among Illinois ZIPs
Benson, 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)
$81,833 Top 39% higher than 61% 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
322housing units
322
Total Housing Units
274
Occupied Units
48
Vacant Units
2.29
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$118,100
Median Home Value
-38% vs state ZIP avg
$950
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 12 business establishments in ZIP 61516, employing approximately 49 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,873,000.
12
Businesses
49
Employees
$1.9M
Annual Payroll
1
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Other services (except public administration) | 3 | 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 61516 vs 61561 →
ZIP 61516 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 61530
Eureka (61530)
6,713 residents
- 61738
El Paso (61738)
4,212 residents
- 61561
Roanoke (61561)
2,788 residents
- 61760 2,544
Minonk (61760)
2,544 residents
- 61369 1,711
Toluca (61369)
1,711 residents
- 61771 860
Secor (61771)
860 residents
- 61516 720
Benson (61516)
720 residents
- 61358 478
Rutland (61358)
478 residents
- 61541 136
La Rose (61541)
136 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 61516 ranks #7 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 61516 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 61771
Secor (61771)
$101,600 median income
- 61358
Rutland (61358)
$88,393 median income
- 61561
Roanoke (61561)
$86,071 median income
- 61738
El Paso (61738)
$84,926 median income
- 61516
Benson (61516)
$81,833 median income
- 61760
Minonk (61760)
$75,362 median income
- 61369
Toluca (61369)
$68,708 median income
- 61530
Eureka (61530)
$68,536 median income
- 61541
La Rose (61541)
$41,875 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 61516 ranks #5 of 9 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 61516, 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 Woodford County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 61516 in?
ZIP code 61516 (Benson) is located in Woodford County, Illinois. Woodford County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/woodford-il.
What is the population of ZIP code 61516?
ZIP code 61516 in Benson, IL has a population of 720 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 61516?
The median household income in ZIP 61516 is $81,833, which is 7% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 61516?
The median home value in ZIP 61516 is $118,100, which is 58% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 61516?
The largest racial group in ZIP 61516 is White at 98.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 0.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 61516?
ZIP code 61516 has 12 business establishments employing approximately 49 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 61516?
In ZIP code 61516, 50.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 18.6% 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 61516?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 61516 is 25.8 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 61516?
In ZIP code 61516, approximately 97.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 2.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 61516?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 61516 is 2.4% 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 61516's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 61516 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Benson, 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.