At 8.9%, unemployment in Benton Township is higher than in 92% of U.S. towns
Only 4% stay in Benton Township for work; outside it, Waukegan is the main destination (13%, 4 miles). The two grades for Benton Township are B− for jobs and income and B+ for walkability. Working residents average 29 minutes each way, next to 28 for Illinois and 26 for the U.S.
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
The short version on getting to work from Benton Township
Many of the people who work in Benton Township live in another state
Kenosha, WI (7%), St. Louis, MO (3%) and Pleasant Prairie, WI (2%) are among the top places Benton Township’s workers come from. Counting only the top ten home towns, 12% of the jobs here are held by people from out of state. The commute map ↓
Benton Township is a place people come home to
There are 1,894 jobs based in Benton Township, about two for every ten working residents, so almost everyone works somewhere else. On a workday Benton Township has about 13,000 people in it, 31% fewer than live here. Day and night ↓
Benton Township has added jobs fast
Jobs based in Benton Township went from 1,397 in 2013 to 1,894 in 2023, +36%. The jobs ↓
Written from the Census figures on this page. Commute flows, distances and jobs are Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs only (the self-employed aren’t counted); commute time and working from home are from the Census American Community Survey; a jump in jobs can partly be a big employer changing how it reports its locations.
The four measures behind Benton Township’s grade
On income, poverty, unemployment and job access, Benton Township is better than 53% of U.S. towns, #485 of 768 in Illinois. Job access by car holds Benton Township’s grade up (ahead of 83% of U.S. towns); unemployment pulls it down. It also does well on household income and the poverty rate.
A fairly firm grade. Within the Census margins of error for income, poverty and unemployment, Benton Township could be anywhere from C+ to B+.
The places Benton Township commutes to
Where Benton Township clocks in
13% of workers
7% of workers
6% of workersLines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.
A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.
The daily flow of workers through Benton Township
On a workday 7,436 residents head out to work, 299 work right here, and 1,595 people come in from elsewhere.
About 13,000 people are in Benton Township on a workday afternoon, 31% fewer than live here.
0.24 jobs for every working resident, so most people commute out.
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2023, primary jobs.
Factories, building and farms: 30% of the jobs in Benton Township
1,894 jobs are based in Benton Township.
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in Benton Township, 2013 → 2023: 1,397 → 1,894. Big swings can come from how a large employer reports its locations, not only from real openings or closings.
Primary jobs covered by unemployment insurance (not the self-employed). Pay is monthly earnings. LEHD 2023.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs Benton Township’s own residents hold wherever they work.
Getting to work from Benton Township takes about 29 minutes
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 9.3 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of Benton Township workers work from home, vs 16% across Illinois. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 7,942 commuters (the 11% who work from home are left out). Across Illinois: 78% drive alone, 7% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
Short hops and long hauls from Benton Township
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2023.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
For most of Benton Township, work means a drive
On EPA’s walkability index and the share of commuters who walk, bike or take transit, Benton Township is more walkable than 69% of U.S. towns, #396 of 768 in Illinois. The street layout scores higher than the way people actually get to work: 2.3% of commuters walk, bike or take transit, below the 10.8% across Illinois.
A firm grade. EPA’s index has no published margin of error; the commuting share comes from a Census survey of 8,884 workers.
How TownRatings grades walkability →
Transit service (shown, not graded). 39% of residents live within a ¾-mile walk of a bus or train stop, 15% within a quarter mile. At the weekday evening rush, about 1.6 trips an hour stop near the typical resident, more than in 65% of the 9,825 U.S. towns with transit data.
Transit at the evening rush trips an hour stopping within ¼ mile of the typical resident, EPA 2020
Households without a car (shown, not graded). 4.1% of Benton Township households have no vehicle (Illinois 11.0%, U.S. 8.4%). 2% of Benton Township’s commuters take a bus or train.
Benton Township next to U.S. towns of 13,000 to 25,000: 1,189th of 1,915 on jobs and income
| # | Town | People | Household income | Poverty | Unemployment | Work in town | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plain Township OH | 13,257 | $219K | 2.1% | 0.8% | 10% | A+ |
| 2 | Rogers MN | 15,606 | $159K | 1.9% | 1.2% | 10% | A+ |
| 3 | Trophy Club TX | 13,695 | $201K | 2.1% | 2.0% | 2% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 8 | Lake Forest IL | 19,731 | $235K | 3.5% | 1.8% | 12% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 11 | Western Springs IL | 13,588 | $230K | 1.3% | 3.1% | 4% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 13 | Deerfield IL | 19,642 | $182K | 2.8% | 2.7% | 7% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 1,187 | Jasper IN | 17,279 | $69K | 14.4% | 1.4% | 50% | B− |
| 1,188 | Camano WA | 17,303 | $105K | 6.7% | 4.5% | 8% | B− |
| 1,189 | Benton Township IL | 18,769 | $83K | 8.9% | 8.9% | 4% | B− |
| 1,190 | Bainbridge Township IN | 17,648 | $69K | 14.4% | 1.5% | 52% | B− |
| 1,191 | Bourbonnais IL | 17,658 | $82K | 9.5% | 6.1% | 13% | B− |
| … | |||||||
| 1,915 | Douglas AZ | 16,038 | $42K | 27.8% | 12.3% | 29% | D− |
Census ACS 2020–24 (income, poverty, unemployment), Census LEHD (work in town), TownRatings Jobs & income grades. Each town links to its Work & commute page.
Ranked on the Jobs & income grade: the towns either side of Benton Township, the top three, the last and three more from Illinois.
10% of Benton Township works in a town next door
The biggest share goes to Zion (6%).
Average commute minutes, one way
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Benton Township workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton Township | – | B− | B+ | 29 min | $82,995 |
| Zion | 6% | C+ | A− | 28 min | $63,104 |
| Zion Township | under 2% | — | — | 28 min | — |
| Beach Park | under 2% | B | A− | 28 min | $85,664 |
| Winthrop Harbor | under 2% | B | C+ | 30 min | $95,690 |
| Wadsworth | under 2% | B | C | 27 min | $142,738 |
| Newport Township | under 2% | B+ | B− | 27 min | $125,074 |
| Waukegan Township | under 2% | — | — | 26 min | — |
Same-state neighbors only. Zion Township and Waukegan Township: not graded. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
Darker towns draw more of Benton Township’s workers. Tap a town to see its commute.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Two sources, two years. Trips, distances and jobs based here: Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs, where the employer reports them. Income, poverty, unemployment, commute time and how people travel: Census ACS 2020–24 averages.
- Straight lines, older transit. Miles are as the crow flies. EPA’s walkability and transit files use 2017–20 inputs.
Jobs and commuting in Benton Township: questions
What is the median household income in Benton Township?
$82,995 (±$6,115) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $83,390 across Illinois and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in Benton Township?
8.9%, against 11.8% across Illinois and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from Benton Township?
29 minutes each way on average, against 28 across Illinois and 26 nationally. 11% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in Benton Township work?
4% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Waukegan (13%, 4 mi), Chicago (7%, 42 mi), Zion (6%, 2 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Is Benton Township walkable?
Benton Township is more walkable than 69% of U.S. towns (Walkability B+): an EPA walkability index of 8.8 out of 20, and 2% of commuters walk, bike or take transit.
Can you get around Benton Township without a car?
2% of commuters take transit and 4% of households have no car. 15% of residents live within a quarter mile of a stop.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from Benton Township, from the people who make the trip.
More of Benton Township
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2023, primary jobs. Commute time, working from home and working out of state: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Distances are straight lines between home and work; real drives run longer. Walkability index, job access and transit service: U.S. EPA Smart Location Database. The two grades are our own summaries of these figures, not official ratings.