Village · Illinois
Joy, Illinois
Joy, village, in Mercer County, Illinois. Joy had 357 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 3.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 372 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 387 (±101). GEOID 1738739.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
357
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 372 · ACS 2020-2024: 387 ±101
Median household income
$56,250
±$17,552 (90% margin)
Illinois: $83,390
Median home value
$76,100
±$12,837 (90% margin)
Illinois: $263,300
Median gross rent
$965
±$61 (90% margin)
Illinois: $1,274
Where is Joy and what county is it in?
Joy is a village in Mercer County, Illinois. It covers 0.4 square miles of land, 869 residents per square mile in 2020.
Joy is in the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 4 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Joy lies entirely within Millersburg Township, a township with its own local government (2020 census blocks).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Joy, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 357 people lived in Joy on July 1, 2025, down 3.5% since 2020, a steeper fall than Illinois's (−0.8%). The 2020 Census counted 372 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 387 (±101).
| Measure | Joy | Mercer County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 387 ±101 | 15,495 | no clear change |
| Households | 169 ±41 | 6,565 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.29 ±0.29 | 2.33 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 190 ±45 | 7,285 | no clear change |
Joy's population since 2000
From 373 in 2000 to 357 in 2025: down 4.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Joy as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Joy?
The median resident of Joy is 33.0 years old; 25.3% are under 18 and 15.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 91.5%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 5.2%.
| Measure | Joy | Mercer County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.0 ±4.1 | 44.7 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 25.3% ±7.2 pts | 20.8% | – |
| 65 years and over | 15.0% ±6.1 pts | 21.9% | – |
| Male | 49.4% ±6.8 pts | 50.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.2% ±4.1 pts | 3.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 91.5% ±5.8 pts | 93.1% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.2 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.2 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.3% ±3.1 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.0% ±1.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 3.9% ±3.9 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 5.4% ±4.1 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.2% ±3.6 pts | 8.4% | – |
| With a disability | 11.4% ±7.1 pts | 13.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 9.6% ±7.6 pts | 4.6% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 86.2% ±7.9 pts | 93.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 8.1% ±4.7 pts | 20.9% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.8% ±2.3 pts | 7.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 81.4% ±10.1 pts | 93.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.5% ±0.9 pts | 1.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Joy earn?
Half of Joy's 169 households earn less than $56,250 a year (±$17,552), against $74,182 in Mercer County and $83,390 in Illinois. In 2015-2019 it was $53,459 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Joy | Mercer County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,250 ±$17,552 | $74,182 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $67,832 ±$9,579 | $92,846 | – |
| Per capita income | $30,600 ±$4,428 | $39,391 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 12.3% ±10.2 pts | 8.9% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 21.3% ±25.9 pts | 12.2% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 17.8% ±11.6 pts | 9.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.0% ±3.8 pts | 92.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 91.1% ±5.9 pts | 90.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Joy?
Owners occupy 83.4% of Joy's occupied homes and renters 16.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $76,100 by its owner (±$12,837). The median renter pays $965 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Joy | Mercer County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $76,100 ±$12,837 | $146,700 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $965 ±$61 | $786 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 12.0% ±15.2 pts | 26.0% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,084 ±$78 | $1,327 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 83.4% ±8.5 pts | 83.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 16.6% ±8.5 pts | 16.2% | – |
| Housing units | 190 ±45 | 7,285 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 4.1% ±6.4 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 17.6% ±24.1 pts | 10.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 84.2% ±9.2 pts | 87.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 12.6% ±8.5 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.5% ±1.7 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.1% ±3.6 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 49.5% ±14.4 pts | 30.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 3.0% ±3.1 pts | 2.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Joy building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Joy in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 1.5 across Illinois.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Joy work and get to work?
86.9% of Joy's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 37.7 minutes.
| Measure | Joy | Mercer County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 71.8% ±8.8 pts | 60.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.3% ±3.2 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 86.9% ±7.1 pts | 79.1% | – |
| Carpooled | 7.0% ±7.2 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±17.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 0.5% ±1.1 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 4.0% ±3.4 pts | 10.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 37.7 min ±10.2 | 28.1 min | +12.1 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Joy?
No census tract lies mostly in Joy; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 402Mercer County | 3,330 | $63,696 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Joy) · Census block assignment files
How does Joy compare with other places in Illinois?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Joy is the 14,545th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 956th-most populous of 1,294 in Illinois.
Joy is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 956th | 1,294 |
Joy's figures with every place in Illinois (CSV)
Every place in Illinois, sortable · Compare Joy with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Joy?
27 of the 57 figures for Joy on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Joy are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Joy.