Population 1,485 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Watson
Household size in Watson
| Period | Watson | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.86 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.68 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.61 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.57 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.29 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
The average household in Watson has 2.57 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Illinois as a whole looks much the same. Household size has dropped from 2.86 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Watson
| Period | Watson | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.7 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.2 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.1 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.4 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.7 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
At 39.4, the median age in Watson is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Watson
| Period | Watson | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.2% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.8% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.7% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Watson than nationally: 8.7%, against 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Watson
Renters in Watson
| Period | Watson | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.4% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.1% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 8.6% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 12.0% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 12.0% of households in Watson rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Nearly four in ten owners (38.1%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Watson
| Period | Watson | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.6% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.2% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.4% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 5.4% of homes in Watson are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Watson
| Period | Watson | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1976 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1979 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1982 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in Watson was built around 1982, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in Illinois as a whole, where the median home dates to 1970.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Watson
| Period | Watson | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $564 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $750 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $604 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $596 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$32 | +$475 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Watson costs $596 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 18.4% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Watson
Bachelor's degrees in Watson
| Period | Watson | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.6% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.3% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.8% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.7% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.1 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Watson have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 20.7%, against 35.6% nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Watson
| Period | Watson | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.3% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.5% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.7% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.5 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over nine in ten adults in Watson have finished high school (92.7%), above the national rate of 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Watson
| Period | Watson | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.2% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.2% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.2% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.2% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.0 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Watson has been strong: just 1.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Watson compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watson | 2.57 | 39.4 | 8.7% | 12.0% | 5.4% | 1982 | $596 | 20.7% | 92.7% | 1.2% |
| Funkhouser | 2.37 | 45.2 | 8.6% | 25.1% | 15.7% | 1981 | $692 | 18.2% | 91.5% | 3.1% |
| Keptown | 2.56 | 40.0 | 8.0% | 12.6% | 6.5% | 1983 | $553 | 22.3% | 92.0% | 0.5% |
| Elliottstown | 2.77 | 37.1 | 8.1% | 12.1% | 7.1% | 1986 | $737 | 24.9% | 96.0% | 2.5% |
| Mason | 2.50 | 42.7 | 11.3% | 9.4% | 5.3% | 1981 | $646 | 11.3% | 84.8% | 2.7% |
| Eberle | 2.75 | 38.5 | 7.3% | 13.7% | 11.1% | 1978 | $829 | 19.4% | 99.3% | 0.1% |
| Effingham | 2.33 | 42.7 | 8.1% | 26.9% | 10.0% | 1977 | $741 | 30.0% | 93.9% | 2.1% |
| Edgewood | 2.45 | 42.0 | 11.7% | 9.1% | 5.3% | 1985 | $605 | 10.1% | 86.5% | 4.4% |
| Hord | 2.41 | 47.4 | 11.5% | 12.0% | 15.5% | 1977 | $816 | 18.5% | 91.0% | 3.0% |
| Teutopolis | 2.59 | 36.1 | 5.0% | 18.5% | 11.4% | 1978 | $705 | 34.7% | 96.1% | 2.1% |
| Dieterich | 2.85 | 33.4 | 8.5% | 17.6% | 6.6% | 1993 | $700 | 28.1% | 91.7% | 2.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: McKiddyville, OK · Trego, WI · Traphill, NC · Thayne, WY · Tanner, AL · Swanville, MN · Mosier, OR · Milton, NC · Millmont, PA · Metlakatla, AK
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Watson. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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