What Does Your Zip Code Say About You?

While surfing the inter-web I came across a sight called Esri.com. This website is used to help uncover lifestyle choices, what consumers buy, and how they spend their free time.

Using this information (without boring you with stuff I find boring) they put together this cool search bar and interactive map that allows you to see what your zip code says about you.

Cool!

I thought I would give it a shot with some of the zip codes in the Stateline Area. Here is what happened:

61107, Rockford, Illinois:

Married couple families and a growing number of singles populate our neighborhoods in older industrial cities around the Great Lakes. We're family-oriented, stable, hard-working people who have lived, worked, and played in the same area for years. Manufacturing,
retail, and health care provide jobs for the skilled workers among us. We earn modest incomes from wages, Social Security benefits, and retirement investments. Shopping trips mean searching for bargains and trying to buy American-made products. Spending time with family is a priority. Watching ESPN, AMC, Animal Planet, and some children's shows on one of our four TVs and reading newspapers, particularly on Sundays, are part of our
routines. Radios are tuned to classic rock stations. Dinner out at Applebee's, Outback Steakhouse, or Texas Roadhouse ---Esri.com

 61115, Machesney Park, Illinois: 

We're solid, settled, and traditional married couples concentrated in the Midwest. Many of our kids have grown up and moved away, but we're staying put in our traditional, rural lifestyles. Construction, manufacturing, and related service industries provide steady
employment. Long commutes, sometimes across county lines, mean owning at least two vehicles. Tending our vegetable gardens and cooking the harvest is second only to enjoying time with family. Remodeling and home improvement projects don't intimidate us, but technology is another matter. We go online only when necessary. Brand loyal and cost conscious, we try to buy American when we can, and conduct our business in person. Leisure time is spent hunting, fishing, camping, and boating.  ---Esri.com

61008, Belvidere, Illinois:

Our kids are grown and gone, we're semi-retired, and our mortgages are paid off. The slower pace of semi-rural country life suits us, so we're content to stay put. Daily life is busy, but follows a routine. Working on the weekends isn't unusual. Shopping includes sticking to familiar brands, buying American, and supporting local businesses when we can. Financial security is a concern; we have low-risk investments. Some carry auto loans and student loans. We prefer to bank at a community bank, pay bills in person, and buy insurance policies from an agent. The Internet is available from home or on our cell phones. ---Esri.com

 

Do you find this to be true?

When I checked my personal zip code I found the three different descriptions that are given on the map completely true. Although it seemed to be true, I have not always lived at the address that I currently live in. I decided to check my 'hometown' and wow, again it was quite true to the life I was living when I lived there.

I don't think that this is a way to absolutely be able to tell everything about every person in the area, because each person is different. I did however find it quite relevant to the general population of the area.