PlainZIP

Ridgway, IL · standard

ZIP Code 62979

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

1,230
6/sq mi
$50,625
Median income
$84,900
Median home value
18.8%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Ridgway pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

15th pct
household income, US ZIPs
5th pct
home value, US ZIPs
6
people per sq mi
83%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 62979 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 62979 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Ridgway, Gallatin County, Illinois, home to just 1,230 residents across 198.4 square miles, a density of 6 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 62979 reports a modest median household income of $50,625 (37% below the Illinois average), while per-capita income is $49,341. The poverty rate stands at 8.0% and the unemployment rate at 3.8%. Median home value sits at $84,900 (56% below the state average), median rent at $667 a month, and owner-occupancy at 82.5%.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 18.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 54.8, and the average commute is -. We also surface 5 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 5 additional ZIPs sharing Gallatin County, so you can benchmark 62979 against its immediate geography rather than a national average 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 →

Top industries in ZIP 62979

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Ridgway, IL

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 62979.

establishments

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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 62979, Ridgway, 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

1,230

Population

198.4

Area (sq mi)

6

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 62979?

54.8

Median Age

50.0%

Male

50.0%

Female

0.6%

Foreign-Born

White 96.9%
African American 0.6%
Asian 1.9%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 0.5%
Hispanic or Latino 0.2%

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?

$50,625

Median Household Income

-37% vs state

$49,341

Per Capita Income

8.0%

Poverty Rate

3.8%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 62979 ranks nationally

Ridgway, IL household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$50,625 15th percentile higher than 15% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $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 44.5%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 18.8%

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

What does housing look like?

552

Total Housing Units

474

Occupied Units

78

Vacant Units

1.91

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 82.5%
Renter 17.5%

$84,900

Median Home Value

-56% vs state

$667

Median Rent

1969

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 34 business establishments in ZIP 62979, employing approximately 198 people with a combined annual payroll of $8,202,000.

34

Businesses

198

Employees

$8.2M

Annual Payroll

4

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Other services (except public administration) 9 26.5%
Retail trade 5 14.7%
Finance and insurance 4 11.8%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 3 8.8%

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 62979 vs 62871 →

ZIP 62979 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 62979 ranks #3 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 62979 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 62979 ranks #4 of 6 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
62871 Omaha, IL 686 5.9 mi
62984 Shawneetown, IL 1,841 7.6 mi
62867 New Haven, IL 521 8.3 mi
62954 Junction, IL 515 9.7 mi
62869 Norris City, IL 2,682 11.2 mi

More ZIP Codes in Gallatin County

62984 standard
Shawneetown, IL
Pop: 1,841
62934 standard
Equality, IL
Pop: 927
62871 standard
Omaha, IL
Pop: 686
62867 standard
New Haven, IL
Pop: 521
62954 standard
Junction, IL
Pop: 515

Related Areas

Gallatin County Ridgway, IL Illinois

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 62979 in? ▼
ZIP code 62979 (Ridgway) is located in Gallatin County, Illinois. Gallatin County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/gallatin-il.
What is the population of ZIP code 62979? ▼
ZIP code 62979 in Ridgway, IL has a population of 1,230 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 62979? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 62979 is $50,625, which is 34% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 62979? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 62979 is $84,900, which is 69% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 62979? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 62979 is White at 96.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 0.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 62979? ▼
ZIP code 62979 has 34 business establishments employing approximately 198 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 62979? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 62979 are: Other services (except public administration) (9), Retail trade (5), Finance and insurance (4). There are 4 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 62979? ▼
In ZIP code 62979, 44.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 18.8% 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 62979? ▼
In ZIP code 62979, approximately 82.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 17.5% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 62979? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 62979 is 8.0% 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.