62473 ZIP Code — Watson, IL

Effingham County, Illinois

ZIP code 62473 is located in Watson, Illinois, within Effingham County. It covers approximately 21.85 square miles and serves a population of 1,143 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 217/618.

About ZIP code 62473

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $124,400. Owner-occupancy is high at 89%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $69,837. 40% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 17 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 19% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 62473 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,143
population
21.85
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Central (CT)
timezone
62473 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 62473

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 62473. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City Status
Watson Preferred
Nearby ZIP codes
62401 Effingham (5.4 mi) 62443 Mason (5.5 mi) 62411 Altamont (8.4 mi) 62424 Dieterich (9.8 mi) 62426 Edgewood (9.8 mi) 62467 Teutopolis (10.8 mi) 62461 Shumway (11.6 mi) 62458 Saint Elmo (13.7 mi) 62838 Farina (14.3 mi) 62858 Louisville (15 mi) 62462 Sigel (15 mi) 62414 Beecher City (16.5 mi)
Demographics updated 05/2026
Population
Total population 1,143
Population density 52 / sq mi
State FIPS 17
County FIPS 049
Geography
Land area 21.85 sq mi
Water area 0.01 sq mi
Latitude 39.0332
Longitude -88.6083
Timezone Central (CT)
Area code 217/618
Total population by age
Gender
Race & ethnicity
Economics updated 05/2026
Household income
Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 42.4% 41.8% 37.2%
$50k – $100k 47.4% 32.6% 29.6%
$100k – $200k 9.7% 20.4% 24.4%
Over $200k 0.4% 5.1% 8.8%

Demographics & statistics

1,143
Population
52
People per sq mi
49.7
Median age
$69,837
Median household income
$33,614
Per capita income
$124,400
Median home value
$539
Median monthly rent
89.1%
Home ownership
7.9%
Poverty rate
3.6%
Unemployment
446
Housing units
19.1%
Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female
24
Under 5
24
28
5–9
27
17
10–14
16
38
15–19
37
27
20–24
27
72
25–34
71
61
35–44
59
58
45–54
56
69
55–59
67
48
60–64
47
92
65–74
90
40
75–84
40
4
85+
4
← Male
Female →

Age summary

GroupCount%
Under 1820417.8%
18 and over93982.2%
65 and over27023.6%
Median age49.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 99.1%
Two or more races 0.9%
GroupCount%
White1,13399.1%
Two or more races100.9%

Household income

Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 42.4% 41.8% 37.2%
$50k – $100k 47.4% 32.6% 29.6%
$100k – $200k 9.7% 20.4% 24.4%
Over $200k 0.4% 5.1% 8.8%
Under $10k 7.6%
$10k–$15k 2.3%
$15k–$25k 8.9%
$25k–$35k 5.4%
$35k–$50k 12.0%
$50k–$75k 22.7%
$75k–$100k 22.5%
$100k–$150k 10.9%
$150k–$200k 2.3%
$200k+ 5.6%
Range% of households
Under $10k7.6%
$10k–$15k2.3%
$15k–$25k8.9%
$25k–$35k5.4%
$35k–$50k12.0%
$50k–$75k22.7%
$75k–$100k22.5%
$100k–$150k10.9%
$150k–$200k2.3%
$200k+5.6%
Median income$69,837

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 7.6%
$50k–$100k 33.6%
$100k–$150k 10.9%
$150k–$200k 16.0%
$200k–$300k 23.1%
$300k–$500k 4.6%
$500k–$1M 4.2%

Housing overview

MetricValue
Median home value$124,400
Median rent / month$539
Owner occupied89.1%
Renter occupied10.9%
Vacant2.8%
Single-family detached85.0%
Large apartment buildings0.0%
Mobile homes7.6%
Median rooms6.3
Avg household size (owned)2.35

Year built

Era%
2020 or later0.0%
2010–20194.2%
2000–20097.8%
1990–19999.0%
1980–198933.1%
1970–197925.3%
1960–19696.4%
1950–19591.6%
1940–19494.4%
1939 or earlier8.2%

Bedrooms

Size% of units
No bedroom (studio)2.2%
1 bedroom3.4%
2 bedrooms15.4%
3 bedrooms57.5%
4 bedrooms19.8%
5+ bedrooms1.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles% of households
No vehicle3.7%
1 vehicle23.3%
2 vehicles46.4%
3 or more26.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type%
Utility gas21.6%
Electricity39.8%
Propane / LP gas33.2%
Wood2.7%

Households & families

Household typeCount%
Married-couple family27055.7%
Cohabiting couple193.9%
Male householder, no spouse8818.1%
Female householder, no spouse10822.3%
Households with children under 189920.4%
Households with seniors (65+)18939.0%
Average household size2.36

Marital status

StatusMaleFemale
Never married37.4%17.2%
Married51.4%62.6%
Separated0.0%0.0%
Widowed6.7%8.5%
Divorced4.5%11.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.0%
Some HS, no diploma 2.2%
HS graduate 43.3%
Some college, no degree 26.9%
Associate's degree 5.6%
Bachelor's degree 16.2%
Graduate / professional 3.0%
Metric%
HS diploma or higher94.9%
Bachelor's or higher19.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

TypeCount%
Nursery / preschool2213.5%
Kindergarten159.2%
Elementary school6338.7%
High school5131.3%
College / grad school127.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 28.6%
Education & healthcare 20.0%
Retail trade 12.5%
Construction 8.0%
Wholesale trade 6.8%
Professional & management 5.0%
Finance & real estate 4.8%
Information 3.8%
Other services 3.6%
Transportation & utilities 3.4%
Arts, food & hospitality 2.6%
Public administration 0.9%

Occupation

Category%
Management, business & arts31.3%
Service7.4%
Sales & office19.3%
Natural resources & construction7.2%
Production & transportation34.8%

Employment type

Type%
Private sector94.9%
Government3.3%
Self-employed1.9%
Unpaid family workers0.0%

Commute

Method%
Drive alone83.5%
Carpool6.8%
Public transit0.0%
Walk0.0%
Work from home9.4%
Other means0.3%
Avg commute (minutes)16.6

Poverty

All people 7.9%
Under 18 years 6.5%
18 and over 8.2%
Married-couple families 1.5%
Female-led households 23.5%

Income support

Source% of households
Social Security40.4%
Retirement income29.7%
Supplemental Security3.1%
Cash public assistance1.9%
Food stamps / SNAP7.6%

Health indicators

Condition%
Obesity36.3%
High blood pressure30.7%
High cholesterol31.3%
Diabetes8.7%
Heart disease5.5%
Stroke2.6%
Asthma10.0%
Arthritis24.3%
Kidney disease2.5%
Pulmonary disease7.1%
Cancer5.7%
Behavior / access%
Smoking20.9%
Binge drinking16.9%
No physical activity24.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep32.8%
Depression19.1%
Fair or poor health13.6%
Poor mental health14.2%
Poor physical health9.9%
No health insurance10.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)74.7%
Visited dentist62.6%
Cholesterol screening88.0%
Teeth loss14.7%

Veterans & disability

VeteransCount%
Civilian veterans859.1%
Disability%
Any disability13.1%
Under 180.0%
18–64 years4.9%
65 and over43.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type%
Private insurance72.0%
Public insurance34.3%
No insurance12.4%
Uninsured under 1925.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

LanguageCount%
English only1,09595.8%
Spanish464.2%
Other Indo-European00.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander252.3%
Other languages211.9%

Place of birth & citizenship

OriginCount%
Native born (US)1,13999.7%
Born in same state1,12998.8%
Born in different state91680.1%
Foreign born100.9%
Naturalized citizen40.3%
Not a US citizen00.0%

Ancestry

AncestryCount%
Arab24021%
Italian17615.4%
French1109.6%
AncestryCount%
Polish181.6%
English131.1%
Norwegian30.3%

Technology access

Metric% of households
Computer access42.4%
Internet access89.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 62473

What city is ZIP code 62473 in?

ZIP code 62473 is primarily assigned to Watson, Illinois.

What county is ZIP code 62473 in?

ZIP code 62473 falls within Effingham County, Illinois.

Is ZIP code 62473 mostly owner-occupied?

89% of occupied units in ZIP code 62473 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 62473 have a large retiree population?

40% of households in ZIP code 62473 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 62473?

The median home value in ZIP code 62473 is $124,400.

Does ZIP code 62473 have a large veteran population?

9% of civilians in ZIP code 62473 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 62473 in?

ZIP code 62473 observes the CST timezone.

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