Watson, IL · standard
ZIP Code 62473
Effingham County, Illinois - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,422
- 25/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $74,700
- Median income Near-median income area
- $104,800
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 18.2%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Watson pairs an above-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 46%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 11th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 25
- people per sq mi
- 81%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 62473 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 62473 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Watson, Effingham County, Illinois, home to just 1,422 residents across 57.3 square miles, a density of 25 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 62473 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $74,700 (7% below the average Illinois ZIP), while per-capita income is $39,931. The poverty rate is 8.8%, with unemployment at 0.7%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $104,800 (45% below the average Illinois ZIP), and median rent is $629; owner occupancy is 81.0%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 18.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44.4, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Effingham County, so 62473 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 62473, Watson, IL · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
1,422
Population
57.3
Area (sq mi)
25
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 62473?
44.4
Median Age
53.0%
Male
47.0%
Female
0.6%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$74,700
Median Household Income
-7% vs state ZIP avg
$39,931
Per Capita Income
8.8%
Poverty Rate
0.7%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 62473 ranks among Illinois ZIPs
Watson, IL household income vs. every Illinois ZIP code
Median household income among 1,334 reporting Illinois ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$74,700 49th percentile higher than 49% of 1,334 Illinois ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Illinois ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
520housing units
520
Total Housing Units
520
Occupied Units
0
Vacant Units
2.43
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$104,800
Median Home Value
-45% vs state ZIP avg
$629
Median Rent
1980
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 14 business establishments in ZIP 62473, employing approximately 53 people with a combined annual payroll of $3,055,000.
14
Businesses
53
Employees
$3.1M
Annual Payroll
2
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 3 | 21.4% |
| Accommodation and food services | 3 | 21.4% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 62473 vs 62401 →
ZIP 62473 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 62401
Effingham (62401)
19,096 residents
- 62467 3,741
Teutopolis (62467)
3,741 residents
- 62424 2,092
Dieterich (62424)
2,092 residents
- 62443 1,623
Mason (62443)
1,623 residents
- 62473 1,422
Watson (62473)
1,422 residents
- 62426 1,085
Edgewood (62426)
1,085 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 62473 ranks #5 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 62473 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 62467
Teutopolis (62467)
$96,406 median income
- 62443
Mason (62443)
$86,950 median income
- 62424
Dieterich (62424)
$84,635 median income
- 62401
Effingham (62401)
$82,374 median income
- 62473
Watson (62473)
$74,700 median income
- 62426
Edgewood (62426)
$51,667 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 62473 ranks #5 of 6 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 62473, both outside IL so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (1,422 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Effingham County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 62473 in?
ZIP code 62473 (Watson) is located in Effingham County, Illinois. Effingham County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/effingham-il.
What is the population of ZIP code 62473?
ZIP code 62473 in Watson, IL has a population of 1,422 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 62473?
The median household income in ZIP 62473 is $74,700, which is 2% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 62473?
The median home value in ZIP 62473 is $104,800, which is 62% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 62473?
The largest racial group in ZIP 62473 is White at 95.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 62473?
ZIP code 62473 has 14 business establishments employing approximately 53 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 62473?
In ZIP code 62473, 56.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 18.2% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 62473?
In ZIP code 62473, approximately 81.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 19.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 62473?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 62473 is 8.8% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 62473's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 62473 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Watson, IL ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.