With 0.2 jobs for every working resident, most of Pearl works elsewhere
There are 9 jobs in Pearl; 39 of its residents have a job. Hardly any stay in Pearl for work; outside it, Pittsfield is the main destination (21%, 14 miles). Home is the office for 37% 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
In and out of Pearl on a workday
On a workday 39 residents head out to work, none work right here, and 9 people come in from elsewhere.
About 78 people are in Pearl on a workday afternoon, 28% 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.
Commuting out of Pearl: the destinations
Where Pearl clocks in
21% of workers
8% 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.
What Pearl’s employers do
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in Pearl, 2013 → 2023: 5 → 9. 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 Pearl’s own residents hold wherever they work.
Working from home in Pearl
of Pearl workers work from home, vs 16% across Illinois. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 12 commuters (the 37% 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.
How far Pearl goes to work
About 42% 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.
How Pearl compares with the towns next door
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Pearl workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pearl | – | — | — | — | — |
| Patterson Township | under 3% | — | — | 53 min | — |
| Pearl Township | under 3% | — | — | 29 min | — |
Same-state neighbors only. Patterson Township and Pearl Township: fewer than 1,000 residents, not graded. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
Darker towns draw more of Pearl’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 Pearl: questions
What is the poverty rate in Pearl?
12.5%, against 11.8% across Illinois and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
Where do people who live in Pearl work?
0% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Pittsfield (21%, 14 mi), Springfield (8%, 57 mi), Milton (5%, 7 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Can you get around Pearl without a car?
0% of commuters take transit and 0% of households have no car. EPA has no transit data for this county.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from Pearl, from the people who make the trip.
More of Pearl
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.