Watson has 0.0 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
There are 9 jobs in Watson, against 303 working residents. Hardly any stay in Watson for work; outside it, Effingham is the main destination (42%, 7 miles). Home is the office for 9% 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 stands out about work in Watson
Watson is a place people come home to
There are 9 jobs based in Watson, about one for every ten working residents, so almost everyone works somewhere else. On a workday Watson has about 360 people in it, 45% fewer than live here. Day and night ↓
42% of Watson works in Effingham
126 working residents, 42%, have their main job in Effingham, 6.6 miles away. That’s far more as work in Watson itself. The commute map ↓
Most Watson residents work close to home
63% of working residents have their main job less than 10 miles from home. How far ↓
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 303 working residents, small shifts move the shares.
Watson quiets down on a workday
On a workday 303 residents head out to work, none work right here, and 9 people come in from elsewhere.
About 360 people are in Watson on a workday afternoon, 45% 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 Watson to work: where people go
Where Watson clocks in
42% 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.
Close to home or a long way: work trips from Watson
About 25% 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.
Goods, not services: 78% of the jobs in Watson
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in Watson, 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 Watson’s own residents hold wherever they work.
Getting to work from Watson takes about 19 minutes
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 6 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of Watson workers work from home, vs 16% across Illinois. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 318 commuters (the 9% 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.
Next door to Watson
The biggest share goes to Watson Township (3%).
Average commute minutes, one way
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Watson workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watson | – | — | — | 19 min | $74,167 |
| Watson Township | 3% | B− | D | 18 min | $77,209 |
| Jackson Township | under 2% | D | D− | 21 min | $72,560 |
Same-state neighbors only. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
Darker towns draw more of Watson’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 Watson: questions
What is the median household income in Watson?
$74,167 (±$8,559) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $83,390 across Illinois and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in Watson?
14.8%, against 11.8% across Illinois and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from Watson?
19 minutes each way on average, against 28 across Illinois and 26 nationally. 9% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in Watson work?
0% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Effingham (42%, 7 mi), Teutopolis (7%, 9 mi), Altamont (6%, 10 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Can you get around Watson 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 Watson, from the people who make the trip.
More of Watson
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.