Housing data for Watseka, IL
Watseka, IL has an estimated 4,780 residents and 2,440 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Iroquois County.
35.2% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $790 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 4,780 (±292)
- Housing units
- 2,440 (±181)
- Households that rent
- 35.2%
- Median gross rent
- $790
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −3.5%
What stands out in Watseka
Households that rent: 35.2% (±7.8 points) in Watseka, higher than in Iroquois County (20.0%).
Households that moved in since 2020: 30.0% (±5.9 points) in Watseka, higher than in Iroquois County (16.3%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 8.8% (±3.6 points) in Watseka, higher than in Iroquois County (3.4%).
Median household income: $43,608 (±$4,318) in Watseka, lower than in Iroquois County ($66,255).
- Renters and owners in Watseka
- How long people stay in Watseka
- Types of homes in Watseka
- Income and affordability in Watseka
Housing in Watseka at a glance
- Median rent: $790 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $777 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 51.6% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 35.2% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $43,608 median household income
- Home values: $103,700 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,155 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $2,393 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 8.8% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 46.9% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 70.0% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 0.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 75.1% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 18.1 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 112 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: −3.5% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 30.0% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.0% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Watseka against Iroquois County, its state and the nation
| Watseka | Iroquois County | Illinois | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 4,780 (±292) | 26,449 (exact) | 12,694,798 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 2,440 (±181) | 12,789 (±38) | 5,457,452 (±471) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 35.2% (±7.8 points) | 20.0% (±1.8 points) | 32.9% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $790 (±$55) | $799 (±$33) | $1,274 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $43,608 (±$4,318) | $66,255 (±$2,456) | $83,390 (±$362) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $103,700 (±$17,358) | $137,800 (±$9,776) | $263,300 (±$797) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $2,393 (±$426) | $2,504 (±$88) | $5,298 (±$22) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 70.0% (±11.1 points) | 77.5% (±3.8 points) | 63.4% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 18.1 minutes (±3.2) | 25.0 minutes (±1.4) | 27.8 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 85.3% (±5.4 points) | 86.5% (±1.6 points) | 90.8% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 47.7 years (±4.3) | 44.4 years (±0.3) | 39.0 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Watseka covers 2.9 square miles of land, about 1,624 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Watseka has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 4,954 (±264) | 4,780 (±292) | −3.5% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 2,819 (±147) | 2,440 (±181) | −13.4% | Measurable decrease |
| Median gross rent | $648 (±$33) | $790 (±$55) | +21.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $85,500 (±$8,904) | $103,700 (±$17,358) | +21.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $39,281 (±$6,253) | $43,608 (±$4,318) | +11.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $968 (±$36) | $1,155 (±$52) | +19.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $2,147 (±$256) | $2,393 (±$426) | +11.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 40.7% (±6.0 points) | 35.2% (±7.8 points) | −5.5 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 10.9% (±6.6 points) | 0.0% (±4.6 points) | −10.9 percentage points | Measurable decrease |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Watseka
In 2025, the Watseka Police Department reported 112 violent and 1,370 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Places near Watseka
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middleport Township | 3.0 mi | $776 | $105,700 | 39.5% |
| Belmont Township | 3.3 mi | $898 | $129,300 | 11.6% |
| Woodland | 4.1 mi | — | $86,400 | 16.8% |
| Iroquois Township | 5.6 mi | $650 | $206,600 | 16.0% |
| Crescent Township | 5.9 mi | $1,071 | $119,300 | 5.7% |
| Crescent City | 6.6 mi | $817 | $116,500 | 14.0% |
| Sheldon Township | 8.0 mi | $801 | $82,800 | 29.4% |
| Concord Township (Iroquois County) | 8.1 mi | $548 | $92,200 | 19.6% |
Places in Illinois most like Watseka
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vandalia | $778 | $98,500 | $45,469 | 33.5% |
| Middleport Township | $776 | $105,700 | $40,307 | 39.5% |
| Centralia | $765 | $89,600 | $47,807 | 37.5% |
| Harrisburg Township | $754 | $88,300 | $46,474 | 33.1% |
| Centralia Township | $808 | $91,200 | $51,444 | 31.2% |
| Mendota | $773 | $134,100 | $51,632 | 37.6% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Illinois.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Watseka, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $706 | $711 | $930 | $1,154 | $1,554 |
HUD income limits for Watseka, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $19,150 | $31,900 | $51,050 |
| 2 people | $21,900 | $36,450 | $58,350 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $41,000 | $65,650 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $45,550 | $72,900 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $49,200 | $78,750 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $52,850 | $84,600 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $56,500 | $90,400 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $60,150 | $96,250 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Iroquois County, IL, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $91,100.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Watseka
What is the average rent in Watseka, IL?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Watseka is $790 (±$55) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Watseka?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Watseka, IL is $468 (±$37) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Watseka rent-burdened?
51.6% of renting households in Watseka pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Watseka?
Watseka has an estimated 801 (±203) renting households, 35.2% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Watseka?
The median household income in Watseka is $43,608 (±$4,318) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Watseka, IL?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $103,700 (±$17,358) for owner-occupied homes in Watseka (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Watseka growing?
In Watseka, the number of residents went from 4,954 in 2015–2019 to 4,780 in 2020–2024 (−3.5%), not a measurable change.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watseka city, Illinois
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watseka city, Illinois
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watseka city, Illinois
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watseka city, Illinois
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watseka city, Illinois
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Watseka city, Illinois
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Watseka city, Illinois
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Iroquois County, IL
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Iroquois County, IL
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Watseka Police Department (ORI IL0380100)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Watseka city, Illinois (place:79228, in state:17).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .