61488 ZIP Code — Wataga, IL

Knox County, Illinois

ZIP code 61488 is located in Wataga, Illinois, within Knox County. It covers approximately 23.61 square miles and serves a population of 1,284 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 309.

About ZIP code 61488

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $119,000. Owner-occupancy is high at 79%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($63,684) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 47% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

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

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 22% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 61488 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,284

population

23.61

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

61488 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 61488

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 61488. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Wataga	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

61467 Oneida (4.6 mi) 61430 East Galesburg (5.3 mi) 61472 Rio (6.2 mi) 61401 Galesburg (6.3 mi) 61448 Knoxville (7.8 mi) 61414 Altona (10.3 mi) 61466 North Henderson (10.7 mi) 61428 Dahinda (11.5 mi) 61485 Victoria (12.1 mi) 61436 Gilson (12.1 mi) 61490 Woodhull (12.2 mi) 61413 Alpha (12.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,284
Population density	54 / sq mi
State FIPS	17
County FIPS	095

Geography
Land area	23.61 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	41.0226
Longitude	-90.3147
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	309

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	45.4%	54.0%	37.2%
$50k – $100k	28.6%	29.8%	29.6%
$100k – $200k	26.0%	14.2%	24.4%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.0%	8.8%

Demographics & statistics

1,284

Population

People per sq mi

39.7

Median age

$63,684

Median household income

$36,109

Per capita income

$119,000

Median home value

$569

Median monthly rent

79.2%

Home ownership

10.4%

Poverty rate

1.7%

Unemployment

453

Housing units

22.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

114

25–34

124

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	273	21.3%
18 and over	1,011	78.7%
65 and over	286	22.3%
Median age	39.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 92.9%

Two or more races 4%

Hispanic or Latino 2%

Black or African American 0.9%

Asian 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	1,217	92.9%
Two or more races	52	4%
Hispanic or Latino	26	2%
Black or African American	12	0.9%
Asian	3	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	45.4%	54.0%	37.2%
$50k – $100k	28.6%	29.8%	29.6%
$100k – $200k	26.0%	14.2%	24.4%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.0%	8.8%

Under $10k 2.9%

$10k–$15k 0.2%

$15k–$25k 9.9%

$25k–$35k 10.4%

$35k–$50k 19.3%

$50k–$75k 14.4%

$75k–$100k 16.6%

$100k–$150k 18.1%

$150k–$200k 4.9%

$200k+ 3.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.9%
$10k–$15k	0.2%
$15k–$25k	9.9%
$25k–$35k	10.4%
$35k–$50k	19.3%
$50k–$75k	14.4%
$75k–$100k	16.6%
$100k–$150k	18.1%
$150k–$200k	4.9%
$200k+	3.3%
Median income	$63,684

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.6%

$50k–$100k 34.6%

$100k–$150k 24.7%

$150k–$200k 5.5%

$200k–$300k 19.1%

$300k–$500k 11.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$119,000
Median rent / month	$569
Owner occupied	79.2%
Renter occupied	20.8%
Vacant	3.4%
Single-family detached	86.9%
Large apartment buildings	1.2%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	6.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.40

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.4%
2000–2009	1.1%
1990–1999	3.7%
1980–1989	14.6%
1970–1979	34.0%
1960–1969	8.6%
1950–1959	4.4%
1940–1949	2.5%
1939 or earlier	29.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.1%
1 bedroom	5.1%
2 bedrooms	25.7%
3 bedrooms	42.3%
4 bedrooms	25.2%
5+ bedrooms	0.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.1%
1 vehicle	23.9%
2 vehicles	41.4%
3 or more	31.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	54.0%
Electricity	31.2%
Propane / LP gas	14.2%
Wood	0.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	299	54.6%
Cohabiting couple	60	10.9%
Male householder, no spouse	87	15.9%
Female householder, no spouse	102	18.6%
Households with children under 18	142	25.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	238	43.4%
Average household size	2.34

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	31.5%	14.4%
Married	53.1%	56.7%
Separated	0.4%	0.0%
Widowed	3.0%	21.2%
Divorced	12.0%	7.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.8%

Some HS, no diploma 3.1%

HS graduate 29.7%

Some college, no degree 24.5%

Associate's degree 18.6%

Bachelor's degree 12.9%

Graduate / professional 9.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	95.1%
Bachelor's or higher	22.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	20	10.4%
Kindergarten	30	15.6%
Elementary school	88	45.8%
High school	40	20.8%
College / grad school	14	7.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 25.1%

Retail trade 19.4%

Transportation & utilities 10.0%

Construction 8.9%

Professional & management 7.8%

Manufacturing 6.3%

Wholesale trade 6.2%

Other services 3.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 3.5%

Finance & real estate 3.2%

Public administration 3.2%

Agriculture & mining 2.2%

Information 0.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	32.3%
Service	9.8%
Sales & office	34.8%
Natural resources & construction	7.2%
Production & transportation	15.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	81.5%
Government	13.8%
Self-employed	4.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	75.8%
Carpool	9.2%
Public transit	0.2%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	14.6%
Other means	0.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	18.9

Poverty

All people 10.4%

Under 18 years 15.4%

18 and over 9.1%

Married-couple families 7.0%

Female-led households 39.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	47.4%
Retirement income	21.9%
Supplemental Security	3.1%
Cash public assistance	1.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	10.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.2%
High blood pressure	34.1%
High cholesterol	35.3%
Diabetes	10.5%
Heart disease	6.9%
Stroke	3.2%
Asthma	9.8%
Arthritis	28.9%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	7.7%
Cancer	7.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.5%
Binge drinking	14.8%
No physical activity	24.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.5%
Depression	18.0%
Fair or poor health	14.1%
Poor mental health	12.7%
Poor physical health	10.3%
No health insurance	9.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.7%
Visited dentist	64.4%
Cholesterol screening	90.4%
Teeth loss	13.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	84	8.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	10.0%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	9.1%
65 and over	22.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	66.7%
Public insurance	44.1%
No insurance	9.8%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,164	90.7%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,277	99.5%
Born in same state	1,274	99.2%
Born in different state	971	75.6%
Foreign born	3	0.2%
Naturalized citizen	7	0.5%
Not a US citizen	5	71.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	192	15%
Italian	141	11%
Arab	56	4.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	17	1.3%
Polish	7	0.5%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.7%
Internet access	93.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 61488

What city is ZIP code 61488 in?

ZIP code 61488 is primarily assigned to Wataga, Illinois.

What county is ZIP code 61488 in?

ZIP code 61488 falls within Knox County, Illinois.

Does ZIP code 61488 have a large retiree population?

47% of households in ZIP code 61488 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 61488?

The median home value in ZIP code 61488 is $119,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 61488?

ZIP code 61488 has an estimated population of 1,284 residents, with a density of 54 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 61488?

The median household income in ZIP code 61488 is $63,684, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 61488 in?

ZIP code 61488 observes the CST timezone.