Joy is a village in Mercer County, Illinois, home to about 387 people across 0.4 square miles. Its ZIP code is 61260.
Homes sold for a median of $44 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Joy; also Millersburg
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Joy. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Joy’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Des Moines International Airport (DSM)147 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Quad City International Airport (MLI)24 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Madison, WI148 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL169 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Joy; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Joy had 372 residents in the 2020 census, up 0% since 2000.
It’s the 1011th largest of 1,450 towns in Illinois by population.
Mercer County grew from 20,945 residents in 1900 to 15,699 in 2020.
Mercer County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 85°F in summer, and winter lows average 13°F. About 39.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 22 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Aledo, IL weather station (6 miles away).
2,200 jobs at 258 businesses in Mercer County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2022 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
Nearest hospitals
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances.
Public schools here are run by Mercer County School District 404. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County ELCJoy | Pre-K | 66 | Public | 2.3 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Millersburg.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.