Godley has 0.6 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
171 jobs are based in Godley; 298 of its residents have a job. Hardly any work in Godley; the top destination outside it is Chicago (13%, 50 miles). Home is the office for 3% of workers, next to 16% for Illinois as a whole.
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
What the numbers say about work in Godley
Godley’s biggest commute is a long one
The top workplace outside Godley is Chicago, 50 miles away as the crow flies. 13% of working residents (40) make that trip; no town closer to home draws more of them. How far ↓
Fewer jobs are based in Godley than ten years ago
Jobs counted in Godley fell from 466 in 2013 to 171 in 2023, −63%. That can be real closings or a large employer now reporting its workers at another address; the data can’t tell the two apart. The jobs ↓
Few Godley workers work from home
Only 3% of workers work from home, against 16% across Illinois. Almost everyone here travels to a job. Time on the road ↓
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; with 298 working residents, small shifts move the shares.
Where in the region Godley works
About 24% show a job over 50 miles away. Some of that is real, and some is employers that report every worker at a head office, so a few long commutes are on paper only.
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.
Godley makes things: 67% of its jobs are in goods
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in Godley, 2013 → 2023: 466 → 171. 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 Godley’s own residents hold wherever they work.
The daily trip from Godley: about 30 minutes
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 9.6 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of Godley workers work from home, vs 16% across Illinois. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 278 commuters (the 3% 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.
A workday in Godley: who goes, who stays, who comes
On a workday 298 residents head out to work, none work right here, and 171 people come in from elsewhere.
About 510 people are in Godley on a workday afternoon, 20% fewer than live here.
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2023, primary jobs.
Out of Godley to work: where people go
Where Godley clocks in
13% of workers
11% of workers
4% 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.
Around Godley: the bordering towns
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Godley workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Godley | – | — | — | 30 min | $53,438 |
| Braceville | under 3% | — | — | 31 min | — |
Same-state neighbors only. Braceville: fewer than 1,000 residents, not graded. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
Darker towns draw more of Godley’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 Godley: questions
What is the median household income in Godley?
$53,438 (±$24,564) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $83,390 across Illinois and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in Godley?
16.5%, against 11.8% across Illinois and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from Godley?
30 minutes each way on average, against 28 across Illinois and 26 nationally. 3% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in Godley work?
0% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Chicago (13%, 50 mi), Joliet (11%, 20 mi), Coal City (4%, 3 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Can you get around Godley without a car?
0% of commuters take transit and 4% of households have no car. EPA has no transit data for this county.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from Godley, from the people who make the trip.
More of Godley
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.