Carbondale is a city of 22,158 people in Illinois. This skews young, with a median age of 24.6. 26% of homes are owner-occupied. The poverty rate is 37.4%, above the 12.5% national rate. People stay put here: 63% were in the same home a year ago. Households here earn about 61% less than in Illinois as a whole.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $32,128, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 24.6
US median: 38.9
More educated
48% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Carbondale
What changed most since 1990
Population27,033 → 22,158(−18%)US over the same years: +35%
Black share17.2% → 26.3%(+9.1 pts)US over the same years: +0.2 pts
Poverty rate46.1% → 37.4%(−8.7 pts)US over the same years: −0.8 pts
Carbondale's population equals 42% of Jackson County's. Its number of veterans equals 19% of the county's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 75% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)37.3%(157)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)13.8%(58)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era17.1%(72)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War11.2%(47)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.4%(6)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 421 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Carbondale, decade by decade
Carbondale population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
27,033
$28,371
$126,004
46.2%
54.5
2000
20,681
$28,932
$127,698
47.8%
65.3
2010
25,902
$25,212
$167,162
52.3%
71.0
2020
21,857
$29,202
$148,717
47.0%
80.6
2024
22,158
$32,128
$127,900
48.2%
78.0
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
