Watseka, IL

Census Place

Add Comparison
2024 Population
4,780
US Senator
Dick Durbin
Democratic Party
US Senator
Tammy Duckworth
Democratic Party
2024 Median Age
47.7
2.8% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
23.4%
8.4% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$43,608
1.9% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$103,700
0.67% 1-year decline
2024 Employed Population
1,971
2.66% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Watseka, IL reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.8% of the residents in Watseka, IL are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Watseka, IL was $103,700, and the homeownership rate was 64.8%.

Most people in Watseka, IL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 18.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Watseka, IL was 1 car per household.

United StatesIllinoisIroquois County, ILChampaign (North & East), Vermilion, Iroquois & Ford Counties PUMA, IL

Population & Diversity

Watseka, IL is home to a population of 4.78k people, from which 97.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.31% of Watseka, IL residents were born outside of the country (158 people).

In 2024, there were 15.1 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (4.03k people) in Watseka, IL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 267 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 189 Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.8%
2024 Citizenship
97.2%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.8% of Watseka, IL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Watseka, IL was 97.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Watseka, IL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

View Data
Save Image

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Watseka, IL
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    4.03k ± 395
  2. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    267 ± 157
  3. Other (Hispanic)
    189 ± 175
6.65%
Hispanic Population
318 people

In 2024, there were 15.1 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (4.03k people) in Watseka, IL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 267 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 189 Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

6.65% of the people in Watseka, IL are hispanic (318 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Watseka, IL as a share of the total population.

View Data
Save Image

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Illinois.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    633,244 ± 19,044 people
  2. India
    161,770 ± 9,812 people
  3. Poland
    119,556 ± 8,449 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Illinois was Mexico, the natal country of 633,244 Illinois residents, followed by India with 161,770 and Poland with 119,556.

View Data
Save Image

Foreign-Born Population

3.31%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
158 people
3.56%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
165 people

As of 2024, 3.31% of Watseka, IL residents (158 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Watseka, IL was 3.56%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Watseka, IL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

View Data
Save Image

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    79 ± 46
  2. Korea
    56 ± 31
  3. Gulf War (2001-)
    50 ± 56

Watseka, IL has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.41 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Watseka, IL.

View Data
Save Image

Economy

The economy of Watseka, IL employs 1.97k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Watseka, IL were Health Care & Social Assistance (411 people), Retail Trade (372 people), and Manufacturing (207 people), and the highest paying industries were Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($81,688), Transportation & Warehousing ($81,688), and Construction ($61,429).

Employment

Occupations

1.97k
2024 Value
± 316
2.66%
1 Year growth
± 22.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Watseka, IL grew at a rate of 2.66%, from 1.92k employees to 1.97k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Watseka, IL, are Production Occupations (253 people), Material Moving Occupations (246 people), and Management Occupations (203 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Watseka, IL.

View Data
Save Image

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Illinois.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Illinois (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

View Data
Save Image

Industries

Employment by Industries

1.97k
2024 Value
± 316
2.66%
1 Year growth
± 22.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Watseka, IL grew at a rate of 2.66%, from 1.92k employees to 1.97k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Watseka, IL, are Health Care & Social Assistance (411 people), Retail Trade (372 people), and Manufacturing (207 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Watseka, IL, though some of these residents may live in Watseka, IL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

View Data
Save Image

Median Earnings by Industry

$51,146
Median earning men ± $12,246
$31,673
Median earning women ± $3,238

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($81,688), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($61,964), and Construction ($61,429).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($48,523), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($35,938), and Retail Trade ($33,636).

View Data
Save Image

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Illinois.
Y-Axis
2.47%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 6.03M people employed in Illinois. This represents a 2.47% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Illinois.

View Data
Save Image

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Illinois went to Kamala Harris with 54.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.43%).

Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are the senators currently representing the state of Illinois. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Illinois is currently represented by 17 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Watseka, IL. Showing the available data for Illinois.
2024 Election Results
  1. Kamala Harris (54.4%)
    Democratic Party
  2. Donald J. Trump (43.5%)
    Republican Party
  3. Robert Kennedy (1.43%)
    Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Illinois went to Kamala Harris with 54.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.43%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Illinois for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

View Data
Save Image

Senator Elections

US Senators from Illinois

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Illinois.
Dick Durbin
Senator from Illinois2
Assumed office on January 3, 1997
Tammy Duckworth
Senator from Illinois3
Assumed office on January 3, 2017

Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are the senators currently representing Illinois.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Illinois over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

View Data
Save Image

Housing & Living

The median property value in Watseka, IL was $103,700 in 2024, which is 0.312 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $104,400 to $103,700, a 0.67% decrease. The homeownership rate in Watseka, IL is 64.8%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Watseka, IL have an average commute time of 18.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Watseka, IL is lower than the national average, with an average of 1 car per household.

Housing

Property

$103,700
Median Property Value 2024
±$17,358
$1,476
Median Property Taxes
±$252

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Watseka, IL the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Watseka, IL compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Rent vs Own

64.8%
Homeownership
2024
55.5%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 64.8% of the housing units in Watseka, IL were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 63%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Watseka, IL compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

View Data
Save Image

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$43,608
Median Household Income
± $4,318
2.28k
Number of Households
± 328

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.28k households in Watseka, IL grew to $43,608 from the previous year's value of $42,794.

The following chart displays the households in Watseka, IL distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

View Data
Save Image

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Watseka, IL is from Illinois.
0.474
2023 Wage GINI in Illinois
0.477
2022 Wage GINI in Illinois

In 2023, the income inequality in Illinois was 0.474 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.554% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Illinois was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Illinois in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Illinois across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

View Data
Save Image

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (81.5%)
  2. Carpooled (10.2%)
  3. Worked At Home (4.88%)

In 2024, 81.5% of workers in Watseka, IL drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.2%) and those who worked at home (4.88%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

View Data
Save Image

Commute Time

18.1 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Watseka, IL have a shorter commute time (18.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.78% of the workforce in Watseka, IL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Watseka, IL compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Car Ownership

1 car
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Watseka, IL distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Watseka, IL have 1 car.

View Data
Save Image

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

23.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Watseka, IL (1.08k out of 4.61k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 55 - 64, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Males < 5.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Watseka, IL is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

View Data
Save Image

Health

92.8% of the population of Watseka, IL has health coverage, with 29.8% on employee plans, 32.7% on Medicaid, 16.9% on Medicare, 12.3% on non-group plans, and 1.07% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Illinois see 1,264 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,264 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1189 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 297 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46% were men and 54% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22% under 18 years, 18.2% between 18 and 34 years, 35.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 24.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46% were men and 54% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

View Data
Save Image

Uninsured People

7.15%
Uninsured
29.8%
Employer Coverage
32.7%
Medicaid
16.9%
Medicare
12.3%
Non-Group
1.07%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Watseka, IL grew by 18.7% from 6.03% to 7.15%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Watseka, IL changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

View Data
Save Image