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 Low-density area
- $50,625
- Median income Below-median income area
- $84,900
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 18.8%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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 average Illinois ZIP), while per-capita income is $49,341. The poverty rate is 8.0%, with unemployment at 3.8%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $84,900 (56% below the average Illinois ZIP), and median rent is $667; owner occupancy is 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 -. The page also surfaces 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 5 more in Gallatin County, so 62979 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 →
Top industries in ZIP 62979
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Ridgway, IL
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 62979.
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
9 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
5 establishments
- Finance and insurance
Finance and insurance
4 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services 3
Professional, scientific, and technical services
3 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, 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
Who lives in ZIP 62979?
54.8
Median Age
50.0%
Male
50.0%
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?
$50,625
Median Household Income
-37% vs state ZIP avg
$49,341
Per Capita Income
8.0%
Poverty Rate
3.8%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 62979 ranks among Illinois ZIPs
Ridgway, 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)
$50,625 10th percentile higher than 10% 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
552housing units
552
Total Housing Units
474
Occupied Units
78
Vacant Units
1.91
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$84,900
Median Home Value
-56% vs state ZIP avg
$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.
- 62869
Norris City (62869)
2,682 residents
- 62984
Shawneetown (62984)
1,841 residents
- 62979
Ridgway (62979)
1,230 residents
- 62871 686
Omaha (62871)
686 residents
- 62867 521
New Haven (62867)
521 residents
- 62954 515
Junction (62954)
515 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 62979 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 62979 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 62871
Omaha (62871)
$107,750 median income
- 62954
Junction (62954)
$67,756 median income
- 62869
Norris City (62869)
$62,159 median income
- 62979
Ridgway (62979)
$50,625 median income
- 62984
Shawneetown (62984)
$50,288 median income
- 62867 $36,845
New Haven (62867)
$36,845 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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 62979, both outside IL so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (1,230 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Gallatin County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 62979's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 62979 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Ridgway, 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.