City · Tazewell County, Illinois

Washington, Illinois

Washington is a city in Tazewell County, Illinois, part of the Peoria, IL metro area. It has 15,919 residents. Washington, Illinois has a quality-of-life score of 69 out of 100 (high), ranking #4,788 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Illinois it ranks #166 of 697 cities and towns. It ranks best on unemployment rate (low), social associations (high) and flu vaccinations (high). It ranks worst on effective property tax rate (high), distance to an airport (high) and new business applications (low).

69High

Quality-of-life score: #4,788 of 15,651 cities and towns
Illinois: #166 of 697 in IL
Population: 15,919 (2020-2024)
Land area: 9 mi²
Density: 1,856.4 /mi²
FIPS code: 1779033

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 74 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety51#7,583/15,637
Economy78#3,428/15,631
Housing69#4,637/14,977
Health66#5,329/15,609
Healthcare51#7,739/15,650
Environment8#14,267/15,453
Education80#3,193/15,649
Infrastructure83#2,679/15,650
Community77#3,634/15,651
Leisure & amenities46#8,475/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Washington, Illinois ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Tazewell County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Unemployment rate · low1.0%
92/100Illinois 4.6%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025High uncertainty
Social associations · high14.1 /10k
87/100Illinois 9.8 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteTazewell County value
Flu vaccinations · high53.0%
87/100Illinois 48.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteTazewell County value
Time spent in the emergency room · low122 min
87/100Illinois 170 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesTazewell County value
Lack of reliable transportation · low5.9%
85/100Illinois 8.4%United States 8.3%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Home price to income ratio · low2.3×
85/100Illinois 3.2×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077

Weaknesses

Effective property tax rate · high2.17%
5/100Illinois 1.88%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Distance to an airport · high123 mi
5/100Illinois 35 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauTazewell County value
New business applications · low7.9 /1k
6/100Illinois 14.9 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauTazewell County value
Grocery stores · low0.9 /10k
10/100Illinois 1.9 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsTazewell County value
Mental health care shortage · high18.0
11/100Illinois 12.2United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationTazewell County value
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · high9.0 µg/m³
13/100Illinois 8.8 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyTazewell County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

New homes permittedImproving
0.7 /1k (2021) → 3.6 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+421%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
86.4% (2015-2019) → 94.8% (2020-2024)
+8.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
37.1% (2015-2019) → 44.9% (2020-2024)
+7.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Median household incomeImproving
$76,508 (2015-2019) → $95,179 (2020-2024)
+24%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Child poverty rateWorsening
2.5% (2015-2019) → 7.0% (2020-2024)
+4.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
39.9% (2015-2019) → 43.7% (2020-2024)
+3.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Washington, Illinois improved on 2 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 10 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

Broadband+8.4 points86.4% → 94.8%
Household income+24%$76,508 → $95,179

Declined1

Inequality+0.0340.365 → 0.399

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Washington, Illinois between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	21.0 min2015-2019	19.6 min2020-2024	−1.4 min	Within the margin of error	64%
Bachelor's degree or higher	39.9%2015-2019	43.7%2020-2024	+3.8 points	Within the margin of error	58%
Broadband subscriptions	86.4%2015-2019	94.8%2020-2024	+8.4 points	Improved	51%
Effective property tax rate	2.19%2015-2019	2.17%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	19%
High school diploma or higher	96.7%2015-2019	98.1%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Within the margin of error	51%
Home price to income ratio	2.4×2015-2019	2.3×2020-2024	−0.0×	Within the margin of error	80%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3652015-2019	0.3992020-2024	+0.034	Declined	24%
Median household income	$76,5082015-2019	$95,1792020-2024	+24%	Improved	43%
Poverty rate	3.6%2015-2019	5.1%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Within the margin of error	30%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	25.3%2015-2019	26.9%2020-2024	+1.6 points	Within the margin of error	43%
Rent-burdened households	37.1%2015-2019	44.9%2020-2024	+7.8 points	Within the margin of error	29%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	3.9%2015-2019	7.2%2020-2024	+3.3 points	Within the margin of error	17%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Washington, Illinois five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Washington, Illinois in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Washington, Illinois itself moved −2 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

15,919 residents (±35)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

6,053 households (±322)

Washington, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $25k11%†637
$25k–50k11%648
$50k–75k18%1,101

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

6,053 households (±322)

Washington, Illinois
Illinois share

Own80%4,869
Rent20%1,184

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

7,756 workers (±383)

Washington, Illinois
Illinois share

Drive alone76%5,891
Carpool6.3%†489
Public transit0.0%0

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Peoria, IL

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Tazewell County, the county holding most of Washington's residents.

Tazewell County has 2,772 employer establishments, 213 for every 10,000 residents (0.86× the US rate of 248; 0.84× Illinois's), with 43,738 paid employees at an average annual pay of $51,764. The Census Bureau also counts 7,198 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,772; 7,198 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 213; US 248 · Illinois 255
Paid employees: 43,738
Average annual pay: $51,764; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Tazewell County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	208	16	0.87×About typical	4,416	$20,507	19
Ambulatory health care services	191	14.7	0.70×Fewer than typical	1,853	$48,064	265
Specialty trade contractors	178	13.7	0.88×About typical	1,735	$74,798	419
Religious organizations	124	9.5	1.72×More than typical	977	$22,637	—
Services to buildings and dwellings	108	8.3	1.23×About typical	566	$37,618	417
Limited-service restaurants	102	7.8	0.98×About typical	2,274	$18,898	10
Automotive repair and maintenance	95	7.3	1.45×More than typical	466	$49,549	87
Construction of buildings	89	6.8	0.91×About typical	925	$74,960	170
Full-service restaurants	87	6.7	0.87×About typical	1,884	$22,925	3
Lessors of real estate	76	5.8	0.47×Fewer than typical	212	$60,849	678
Truck transportation	76	5.8	1.16×About typical	939	$64,819	109
Building equipment contractors	74	5.7	0.95×About typical	898	$74,924	76

Rank places for an industry Open Tazewell County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 130,019 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $3,449 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Washington, Illinois: $0.22 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $3,449; −50% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0.22; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Army$3,449100%

Top recipients

LADD FARM MART INC$3,449100%

Spending by fiscal year

5.4KFY2017
75.1KFY2018
43KFY2019
2.4KFY2020
0FY2021
14.2KFY2022
4.6KFY2023
29.9KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Agriculture, construction, and mining machinery manufacturing · 3331$3,449100%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Washington, Illinois, so they do not add up across cities.

Washington, Illinois's figures are part of those of Tazewell County, IL ($6.4M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.1% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Washington is mostly in Tazewell County.

See federal money in Tazewell County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Washington, Illinois is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Tazewell County77100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Peoria, IL71

Other cities and towns in Tazewell County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/1779033

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends