60970 ZIP Code — Watseka, IL

Iroquois County, Illinois

ZIP code 60970 is located in Watseka, Illinois, within Iroquois County. It covers approximately 127.34 square miles and serves a population of 6,025 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 815/779.

About ZIP code 60970

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $112,400. Owner-occupancy is high at 75%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $51,483. SNAP benefit usage at 18% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 41% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 21 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 16% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 25%.

Overall, ZIP code 60970 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

6,025

population

127.34

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

60970 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 60970

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 60970. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Watseka	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

60928 Crescent City (6.6 mi) 60966 Sheldon (7.6 mi) 60951 Martinton (9.2 mi) 60931 Donovan (9.4 mi) 60953 Milford (12 mi) 60938 Gilman (13.7 mi) 60911 Ashkum (13.8 mi) 60912 Beaverville (14.5 mi) 60930 Danforth (14.6 mi) 60955 Onarga (14.6 mi) 47951 Kentland (15.3 mi) 60927 Clifton (16.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	6,025
Population density	47 / sq mi
State FIPS	17
County FIPS	075

Geography
Land area	127.34 sq mi
Water area	0.44 sq mi
Latitude	40.7885
Longitude	-87.7318
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	815/779

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	54.3%	46.1%	37.2%
$50k – $100k	31.6%	33.9%	29.6%
$100k – $200k	11.0%	17.2%	24.4%
Over $200k	3.1%	2.8%	8.8%

Demographics & statistics

6,025

Population

People per sq mi

50.5

Median age

$51,483

Median household income

$31,701

Per capita income

$112,400

Median home value

$758

Median monthly rent

75.4%

Home ownership

14.8%

Poverty rate

3.8%

Unemployment

2,454

Housing units

16.0%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

106

170

5–9

187

128

10–14

140

141

15–19

154

195

20–24

214

286

25–34

313

234

35–44

255

433

45–54

473

230

55–59

252

287

60–64

315

351

65–74

383

243

75–84

265

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,061	17.6%
18 and over	4,964	82.4%
65 and over	1,415	23.5%
Median age	50.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 86.8%

Hispanic or Latino 4.8%

Other race 4.4%

Two or more races 2%

Black or African American 1.2%

Asian 0.8%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	5,491	86.8%
Hispanic or Latino	301	4.8%
Other race	277	4.4%
Two or more races	127	2%
Black or African American	73	1.2%
Asian	49	0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	8	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	54.3%	46.1%	37.2%
$50k – $100k	31.6%	33.9%	29.6%
$100k – $200k	11.0%	17.2%	24.4%
Over $200k	3.1%	2.8%	8.8%

Under $10k 5.1%

$10k–$15k 4.9%

$15k–$25k 12.3%

$25k–$35k 11.0%

$35k–$50k 15.8%

$50k–$75k 14.6%

$75k–$100k 11.2%

$100k–$150k 16.6%

$150k–$200k 4.8%

$200k+ 3.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.1%
$10k–$15k	4.9%
$15k–$25k	12.3%
$25k–$35k	11.0%
$35k–$50k	15.8%
$50k–$75k	14.6%
$75k–$100k	11.2%
$100k–$150k	16.6%
$150k–$200k	4.8%
$200k+	3.8%
Median income	$51,483

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 13.3%

$50k–$100k 29.7%

$100k–$150k 19.2%

$150k–$200k 11.8%

$200k–$300k 18.2%

$300k–$500k 4.1%

$500k–$1M 2.1%

$1M+ 1.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$112,400
Median rent / month	$758
Owner occupied	75.4%
Renter occupied	24.6%
Vacant	15.1%
Single-family detached	75.5%
Large apartment buildings	2.3%
Mobile homes	5.8%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.38

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.9%
2000–2009	7.7%
1990–1999	11.4%
1980–1989	13.7%
1970–1979	15.3%
1960–1969	9.8%
1950–1959	16.3%
1940–1949	4.6%
1939 or earlier	19.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.2%
1 bedroom	8.1%
2 bedrooms	30.7%
3 bedrooms	43.8%
4 bedrooms	15.0%
5+ bedrooms	1.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.0%
1 vehicle	38.5%
2 vehicles	35.5%
3 or more	19.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	60.7%
Electricity	25.0%
Propane / LP gas	13.8%
Wood	0.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,023	38.9%
Cohabiting couple	321	12.2%
Male householder, no spouse	312	11.8%
Female householder, no spouse	977	37.1%
Households with children under 18	598	22.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,042	39.6%
Average household size	2.24

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	40.1%	17.7%
Married	45.7%	36.3%
Separated	1.7%	0.2%
Widowed	4.0%	16.4%
Divorced	8.6%	29.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.2%

Some HS, no diploma 10.5%

HS graduate 42.4%

Some college, no degree 17.6%

Associate's degree 10.3%

Bachelor's degree 14.1%

Graduate / professional 2.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	86.3%
Bachelor's or higher	16.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	27	2.8%
Kindergarten	52	5.4%
Elementary school	508	52.4%
High school	264	27.2%
College / grad school	118	12.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.4%

Retail trade 18.1%

Manufacturing 8.8%

Finance & real estate 7.2%

Wholesale trade 7.1%

Public administration 6.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.6%

Construction 6.3%

Professional & management 4.4%

Transportation & utilities 4.3%

Agriculture & mining 3.0%

Other services 3.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	34.3%
Service	16.9%
Sales & office	17.9%
Natural resources & construction	7.8%
Production & transportation	23.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	82.6%
Government	10.8%
Self-employed	6.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	84.4%
Carpool	10.2%
Public transit	0.3%
Walk	1.8%
Work from home	2.8%
Other means	0.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	20.9

Poverty

All people 14.8%

Under 18 years 18.4%

18 and over 14.2%

Married-couple families 4.6%

Female-led households 8.5%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	41.4%
Retirement income	26.2%
Supplemental Security	14.1%
Cash public assistance	1.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	17.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.1%
High blood pressure	39.8%
High cholesterol	37.3%
Diabetes	12.7%
Heart disease	9.0%
Stroke	4.4%
Asthma	10.4%
Arthritis	33.4%
Kidney disease	3.8%
Pulmonary disease	10.3%
Cancer	8.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	21.9%
Binge drinking	13.5%
No physical activity	30.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.5%
Depression	18.5%
Fair or poor health	19.1%
Poor mental health	13.6%
Poor physical health	12.8%
No health insurance	12.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.8%
Visited dentist	58.2%
Cholesterol screening	89.3%
Teeth loss	20.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	342	6.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	24.6%
Under 18	17.1%
18–64 years	22.2%
65 and over	36.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	57.6%
Public insurance	54.2%
No insurance	2.5%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	5,822	96.6%
Spanish	111	1.9%
Other Indo-European	78	1.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	33	0.6%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	5,795	96.2%
Born in same state	5,789	96.1%
Born in different state	4,640	77.0%
Foreign born	6	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	230	3.8%
Not a US citizen	101	43.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	879	14.6%
French	385	6.4%
Arab	372	6.2%
English	296	4.9%
Irish	210	3.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	89	1.5%
German	76	1.3%
Norwegian	45	0.7%
Dutch	14	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	43.7%
Internet access	87.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 60970

What city is ZIP code 60970 in?

ZIP code 60970 is primarily assigned to Watseka, Illinois.

What county is ZIP code 60970 in?

ZIP code 60970 falls within Iroquois County, Illinois.

Does ZIP code 60970 have a large retiree population?

41% of households in ZIP code 60970 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 60970?

The median home value in ZIP code 60970 is $112,400.

What is the population of ZIP code 60970?

ZIP code 60970 has an estimated population of 6,025 residents, with a density of 47 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 60970?

The median household income in ZIP code 60970 is $51,483, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 60970 in?

ZIP code 60970 observes the CST timezone.