61081 ZIP Code — Sterling, IL

Whiteside County, Illinois

ZIP code 61081 is located in Sterling, Illinois, within Whiteside County. It covers approximately 124.39 square miles and serves a population of 21,138 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 815/779.

About ZIP code 61081

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $120,000. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 71%.

Median household income is $57,618. 37% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 19 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 19% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 61081 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

21,138

population

124.39

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

61081 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 61081

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 61081. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Sterling	Acceptable
Sterling	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

61071 Rock Falls (7.2 mi) 61051 Milledgeville (11.6 mi) 61261 Lyndon (11.8 mi) 61270 Morrison (12.1 mi) 61021 Dixon (12.7 mi) 61042 Harmon (13.1 mi) 61014 Chadwick (13.2 mi) 61243 Deer Grove (13.8 mi) 61064 Polo (13.9 mi) 61283 Tampico (16.4 mi) 61251 Fenton (18.3 mi) 61277 Prophetstown (18.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	21,138
Population density	170 / sq mi
State FIPS	17
County FIPS	195

Geography
Land area	124.39 sq mi
Water area	2.12 sq mi
Latitude	41.8244
Longitude	-89.7326
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	815/779

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	45.8%	43.7%	37.2%
$50k – $100k	31.4%	32.3%	29.6%
$100k – $200k	18.2%	20.7%	24.4%
Over $200k	4.6%	3.3%	8.8%

Demographics & statistics

21,138

Population

170

People per sq mi

44.0

Median age

$57,618

Median household income

$35,028

Per capita income

$120,000

Median home value

$763

Median monthly rent

70.7%

Home ownership

12.5%

Poverty rate

4.9%

Unemployment

7,199

Housing units

18.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

478

Under 5

457

674

5–9

645

691

10–14

662

587

15–19

561

767

20–24

734

1,127

25–34

1,078

1,239

35–44

1,186

1,362

45–54

1,304

752

55–59

720

621

60–64

594

1,458

65–74

1,395

688

75–84

659

357

85+

342

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	4,191	19.8%
18 and over	16,947	80.2%
65 and over	4,899	23.2%
Median age	44.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 76.6%

Two or more races 9.4%

Hispanic or Latino 7.7%

Other race 2.8%

Black or African American 1.9%

Asian 1.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	17,553	76.6%
Two or more races	2,159	9.4%
Hispanic or Latino	1,767	7.7%
Other race	632	2.8%
Black or African American	435	1.9%
Asian	267	1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	78	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	14	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	45.8%	43.7%	37.2%
$50k – $100k	31.4%	32.3%	29.6%
$100k – $200k	18.2%	20.7%	24.4%
Over $200k	4.6%	3.3%	8.8%

Under $10k 5.3%

$10k–$15k 4.1%

$15k–$25k 9.7%

$25k–$35k 8.8%

$35k–$50k 15.5%

$50k–$75k 16.5%

$75k–$100k 11.9%

$100k–$150k 17.7%

$150k–$200k 6.1%

$200k+ 4.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.3%
$10k–$15k	4.1%
$15k–$25k	9.7%
$25k–$35k	8.8%
$35k–$50k	15.5%
$50k–$75k	16.5%
$75k–$100k	11.9%
$100k–$150k	17.7%
$150k–$200k	6.1%
$200k+	4.5%
Median income	$57,618

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.0%

$50k–$100k 31.5%

$100k–$150k 27.3%

$150k–$200k 15.4%

$200k–$300k 14.1%

$300k–$500k 5.1%

$500k–$1M 2.2%

$1M+ 0.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$120,000
Median rent / month	$763
Owner occupied	70.7%
Renter occupied	29.3%
Vacant	9.8%
Single-family detached	74.2%
Large apartment buildings	5.4%
Mobile homes	0.1%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.52

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	2.9%
2000–2009	5.7%
1990–1999	10.3%
1980–1989	5.1%
1970–1979	15.6%
1960–1969	11.0%
1950–1959	18.6%
1940–1949	5.8%
1939 or earlier	24.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.3%
1 bedroom	8.5%
2 bedrooms	26.9%
3 bedrooms	42.6%
4 bedrooms	16.1%
5+ bedrooms	3.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.8%
1 vehicle	39.9%
2 vehicles	34.0%
3 or more	19.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	71.7%
Electricity	19.6%
Propane / LP gas	8.1%
Wood	0.1%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,822	43.3%
Cohabiting couple	722	8.2%
Male householder, no spouse	1,815	20.6%
Female householder, no spouse	2,472	28.0%
Households with children under 18	2,368	26.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,410	38.6%
Average household size	2.34

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	39.3%	27.8%
Married	47.8%	45.7%
Separated	1.5%	1.7%
Widowed	3.8%	10.4%
Divorced	7.7%	14.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.5%

Some HS, no diploma 5.4%

HS graduate 36.8%

Some college, no degree 25.2%

Associate's degree 10.4%

Bachelor's degree 11.1%

Graduate / professional 7.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	91.0%
Bachelor's or higher	18.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	355	8.5%
Kindergarten	153	3.6%
Elementary school	2,044	48.7%
High school	1,051	25.1%
College / grad school	591	14.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 21.3%

Manufacturing 17.6%

Retail trade 13.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 9.5%

Professional & management 7.6%

Transportation & utilities 6.9%

Construction 5.4%

Public administration 5.1%

Other services 4.1%

Finance & real estate 3.9%

Wholesale trade 2.4%

Agriculture & mining 1.9%

Information 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	30.2%
Service	15.6%
Sales & office	22.7%
Natural resources & construction	8.2%
Production & transportation	23.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.1%
Government	15.5%
Self-employed	4.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	79.0%
Carpool	11.6%
Public transit	0.5%
Walk	5.1%
Work from home	2.2%
Other means	1.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	19.0

Poverty

All people 12.5%

Under 18 years 19.6%

18 and over 10.7%

Married-couple families 3.2%

Female-led households 16.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	36.6%
Retirement income	31.9%
Supplemental Security	5.1%
Cash public assistance	1.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	14.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.5%
High blood pressure	34.2%
High cholesterol	34.5%
Diabetes	11.2%
Heart disease	7.2%
Stroke	3.4%
Asthma	9.7%
Arthritis	28.7%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	7.5%
Cancer	7.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.9%
Binge drinking	14.5%
No physical activity	26.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.7%
Depression	17.2%
Fair or poor health	15.9%
Poor mental health	12.9%
Poor physical health	10.7%
No health insurance	13.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.6%
Visited dentist	61.3%
Cholesterol screening	89.6%
Teeth loss	15.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,422	8.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.1%
Under 18	6.6%
18–64 years	10.4%
65 and over	34.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	70.3%
Public insurance	43.0%
No insurance	4.9%
Uninsured under 19	2.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	20,203	95.6%
Spanish	785	3.9%
Other Indo-European	599	3.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	44	0.2%
Other languages	142	0.7%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	20,147	95.3%
Born in same state	19,869	94.0%
Born in different state	16,695	79.0%
Foreign born	278	1.3%
Naturalized citizen	991	4.7%
Not a US citizen	405	40.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	2,528	12%
French	1,729	8.2%
Arab	1,167	5.5%
English	442	2.1%
Polish	272	1.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	199	0.9%
Norwegian	47	0.2%
Irish	46	0.2%
German	42	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.8%
Internet access	90.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 61081

What city is ZIP code 61081 in?

ZIP code 61081 is primarily assigned to Sterling, Illinois.

What county is ZIP code 61081 in?

ZIP code 61081 falls within Whiteside County, Illinois.

Does ZIP code 61081 have a large retiree population?

37% of households in ZIP code 61081 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 61081?

The median home value in ZIP code 61081 is $120,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 61081?

ZIP code 61081 has an estimated population of 21,138 residents, with a density of 170 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 61081?

The median household income in ZIP code 61081 is $57,618, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 61081 in?

ZIP code 61081 observes the CST timezone.