Housing data for Watson Township, IL
Watson Township, IL has an estimated 3,185 residents and 1,316 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a township in Effingham County.
13.1% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $722 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 3,185 (±35)
- Housing units
- 1,316 (±97)
- Households that rent
- 13.1%
- Median gross rent
- $722
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +0.9%
What stands out in Watson Township
Households that rent: 13.1% (±6.1 points) in Watson Township, lower than in Effingham County (21.8%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 3.1% (±3.8 points) in Watson Township, lower than in Effingham County (7.1%).
Homes built before 1980: 40.0% (±8.7 points) in Watson Township, lower than in Effingham County (54.2%).
- Renters and owners in Watson Township
- Types of homes in Watson Township
- Age of homes in Watson Township
Housing in Watson Township at a glance
- Median rent: $722 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,063 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent burden: 20.6% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 13.1% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $77,209 median household income
- Home values: $171,400 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,504 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $2,485 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 3.1% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 73.2% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 40.0% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 0.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 35.3% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 18.0 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: +0.9% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 13.7% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.5% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Watson Township against Effingham County, its state and the nation
| Watson Township | Effingham County | Illinois | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 3,185 (±35) | 34,522 (exact) | 12,694,798 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 1,316 (±97) | 15,413 (±32) | 5,457,452 (±471) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 13.1% (±6.1 points) | 21.8% (±2.0 points) | 32.9% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $722 (±$88) | $733 (±$29) | $1,274 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $77,209 (±$10,189) | $80,404 (±$3,469) | $83,390 (±$362) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $171,400 (±$27,166) | $189,500 (±$10,445) | $263,300 (±$797) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $2,485 (±$436) | $2,823 (±$125) | $5,298 (±$22) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 40.0% (±8.7 points) | 54.2% (±3.4 points) | 63.4% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 18.0 minutes (±5.6) | 18.1 minutes (±1.0) | 27.8 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 94.4% (±3.2 points) | 90.6% (±1.5 points) | 90.8% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 41.0 years (±2.8) | 40.0 years (±0.4) | 39.0 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Watson Township covers 35.8 square miles of land, about 89 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Watson Township has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 3,156 (±21) | 3,185 (±35) | +0.9% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 1,398 (±102) | 1,316 (±97) | −5.9% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $703 (±$219) | $722 (±$88) | +2.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $126,300 (±$11,658) | $171,400 (±$27,166) | +35.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $52,895 (±$10,887) | $77,209 (±$10,189) | +46.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,015 (±$79) | $1,504 (±$211) | +48.2% | Up after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,927 (±$207) | $2,485 (±$436) | +29.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 7.6% (±4.0 points) | 13.1% (±6.1 points) | +5.5 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 7.5% (±12.3 points) | 0.0% (±19.4 points) | −7.5 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
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 Effingham County
Watson Township has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Effingham County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Effingham County recorded 161 violent and 813 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
ZIP codes in Watson Township
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 62473 | 35% | 1,264 | $629 | $104,800 | $74,700 |
| 62401 | 23% | 19,273 | $735 | $217,500 | $82,374 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Watson Township
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watson | 2.8 mi | $742 | $100,000 | 16.0% |
| Effingham | 5.4 mi | $725 | $177,500 | 33.9% |
| Bishop Township | 5.8 mi | $681 | $230,600 | 20.2% |
| Teutopolis Township | 6.0 mi | $779 | $235,900 | 18.1% |
| Union Township (Effingham County) | 6.0 mi | — | $202,400 | 21.4% |
| Jackson Township (Effingham County) | 6.2 mi | — | $163,100 | 3.1% |
| Teutopolis | 6.4 mi | $670 | $247,700 | 23.2% |
| Dieterich | 7.6 mi | $692 | $201,300 | 25.7% |
Places in Illinois most like Watson Township
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Milford | $744 | $132,500 | $76,458 | 8.7% |
| Melrose Township (Adams County) | $750 | $219,500 | $84,464 | 12.7% |
| Walnut Grove Township (McDonough County) | $833 | $173,100 | $64,352 | 13.0% |
| Alma Township | $534 | $162,500 | $80,000 | 10.7% |
| Watson | $742 | $100,000 | $74,167 | 16.0% |
| Tower Hill Township | $643 | $120,100 | $78,933 | 12.8% |
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 Watson Township, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $764 | $792 | $930 | $1,231 | $1,434 |
HUD income limits for Watson Township, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $22,050 | $36,750 | $58,750 |
| 2 people | $25,200 | $42,000 | $67,150 |
| 3 people | $28,350 | $47,250 | $75,550 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $52,450 | $83,900 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $56,650 | $90,650 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $60,850 | $97,350 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $65,050 | $104,050 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $69,250 | $110,750 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Effingham County, IL, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $104,900.
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 Watson Township
What is the average rent in Watson Township, IL?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Watson Township is $722 (±$88) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How many renters are there in Watson Township?
Watson Township has an estimated 173 (±83) renting households, 13.1% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Watson Township?
The median household income in Watson Township is $77,209 (±$10,189) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Watson Township, IL?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $171,400 (±$27,166) for owner-occupied homes in Watson Township (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Watson Township?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Watson Township, IL is $1,504 (±$211) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in Watson Township?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Watson Township, IL is $2,485 (±$436) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Watson Township growing?
In Watson Township, the number of residents went from 3,156 in 2015–2019 to 3,185 in 2020–2024 (+0.9%), not a measurable change.
What ZIP codes are in Watson Township?
The ZIP codes that cover Watson Township are 62473, 62401.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 62473?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 62473 is $629 (±$308) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watson township, Effingham County, Illinois
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watson township, Effingham County, Illinois
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watson township, Effingham County, Illinois
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watson township, Effingham County, Illinois
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watson township, Effingham County, Illinois
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Watson township, Effingham County, Illinois
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Watson township, Effingham County, Illinois
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Effingham County, IL
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Effingham County, IL
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- 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 Watson township, Effingham County, Illinois (county subdivision:79254, in state:17 county:049).
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 .