Photo: Boscophotos · CC BY-SA 3.0Fewer people are out of work in Washington (1.0%) than in 94% of U.S. towns
Washington grades A for jobs and income and B for walkability. About one in ten work in Washington itself; outside it, Peoria draws the most (28%, 10 miles). Household incomes here are higher than in 73% of U.S. towns.
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
Work in Washington: the figures worth knowing
The better-paid jobs are outside Washington
63% of Washington residents earn over $3,333 a month (about $40,000 a year) at their main job, but only 36% of the jobs based in Washington pay that much. Most residents work elsewhere: 88% leave town for their job. The jobs ↓
Commutes from Washington are quick
The average trip to work takes 20 minutes, against 28 across Illinois. That’s about 61 hours a year less on the road than the typical Illinois worker. Time on the road ↓
Many jobs in Washington pay little
28% of the jobs based in Washington pay $1,250 a month or less, under $15,000 a year. Young workers hold many of them: 32% of all the jobs here go to people 29 or younger. The jobs ↓
28% of Washington works in Peoria
2,033 working residents, 28%, have their main job in Peoria, 10 miles away. That’s twice as many as work in Washington itself. The commute map ↓
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.
Washington’s Jobs & income grade, measure by measure
On income, poverty, unemployment and job access, Washington is better than 91% of U.S. towns, #107 of 768 in Illinois. Unemployment is its strongest input; job access by car ranks lowest, though still above most U.S. towns (ahead of 69% of U.S. towns). It also does well on household income and the poverty rate and job access by car.
A fairly firm grade. Within the Census margins of error for income, poverty and unemployment, Washington could be anywhere from A− to A+.
Jobs in Washington: what the 3,660 are
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in Washington, 2013 → 2023: 3,443 → 3,660. 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 Washington’s own residents hold wherever they work.
From Washington, about 20 minutes to the job
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 6.3 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of Washington workers work from home, vs 16% across Illinois. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 6,633 commuters (the 14% 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.
Where Washington goes to work
Where Washington clocks in
Lines 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.
How a workday changes Washington
On a workday 6,435 residents head out to work, 850 work right here, and 2,810 people come in from elsewhere.
About 12,000 people are in Washington on a workday afternoon, 23% fewer than live here.
0.50 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.
How far it is to work from Washington
About 20% 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.
Few in Washington walk, bike or ride to work
On EPA’s walkability index and the share of commuters who walk, bike or take transit, Washington is more walkable than 60% of U.S. towns, #471 of 768 in Illinois. Both inputs place Washington near the same point nationally.
A firm grade. EPA’s index has no published margin of error; the commuting share comes from a Census survey of 7,756 workers.
How TownRatings grades walkability →
Transit service (shown, not graded). 8% of residents live within a ¾-mile walk of a bus or train stop, 0% within a quarter mile. At the weekday evening rush, about 0.6 trips an hour stop near the typical resident, more than in 51% 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). 5.4% of Washington households have no vehicle (Illinois 11.0%, U.S. 8.4%). 0% of Washington’s commuters take a bus or train.
Among U.S. towns of 11,000 to 21,000, Washington ranks 343rd of 2,109 on jobs and income
| # | Town | People | Household income | Poverty | Unemployment | Work in town | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Albany OH | 11,803 | $238K | 1.4% | 0.9% | 11% | A+ |
| 2 | Plain Township OH | 13,257 | $219K | 2.1% | 0.8% | 10% | A+ |
| 3 | Rogers MN | 15,606 | $159K | 1.9% | 1.2% | 10% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 9 | Lake Forest IL | 19,731 | $235K | 3.5% | 1.8% | 12% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 16 | Western Springs IL | 13,588 | $230K | 1.3% | 3.1% | 4% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 21 | Deerfield IL | 19,642 | $182K | 2.8% | 2.7% | 7% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 341 | Brookfield CT | 18,566 | $148K | 4.1% | 3.5% | 14% | A |
| 342 | Rancho Mission Viejo CA | 11,971 | $193K | 2.7% | 4.1% | 2% | A |
| 343 | Washington IL | 15,902 | $95K | 5.1% | 1.0% | 12% | A |
| 344 | Lakeland Highlands FL | 12,102 | $108K | 2.7% | 2.9% | 3% | A |
| 345 | Jupiter Farms FL | 12,945 | $138K | 2.8% | 3.3% | 5% | A |
| … | |||||||
| 2,109 | 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 Washington, the top three, the last and three more from Illinois.
Around Washington: the bordering towns
The biggest share goes to East Peoria (7%).
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Washington workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | – | A | B | 20 min | $95,179 |
| East Peoria | 7% | B | A− | 21 min | $71,833 |
Same-state neighbors only. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
Darker towns draw more of Washington’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 Washington: questions
What is the median household income in Washington?
$95,179 (±$10,188) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $83,390 across Illinois and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in Washington?
5.1%, against 11.8% across Illinois and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from Washington?
20 minutes each way on average, against 28 across Illinois and 26 nationally. 14% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in Washington work?
12% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Peoria (28%, 10 mi), East Peoria (7%, 6 mi), Morton (6%, 7 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Is Washington walkable?
Washington is more walkable than 60% of U.S. towns (Walkability B): an EPA walkability index of 7.2 out of 20, and 3% of commuters walk, bike or take transit.
Can you get around Washington without a car?
0% of commuters take transit and 5% of households have no car. 0% of residents live within a quarter mile of a stop.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from Washington, from the people who make the trip.
More of Washington
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.