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CITY

Carbondale

Illinois · 21,811 residents (2025 est.) · 17.5 sq mi
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Part of the Carbondale micropolitan area
The short version

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
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
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
22,158
+7%since 2000
from 20,681 in 2000
21,811 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,268 / sq mi
−14%since 2009
from 1,482 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
24.6
Unchangedsince 2000
from 24.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
17.5 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
20K22K24K26K28K19902000201020202024Carbondale
202422K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 53.2%(705)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.5%(1,006)
US avg: 6%
10 to 143.7%(825)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 1911.8%(2,617)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2429.3%(6,482)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3415.4%(3,423)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 448.9%(1,968)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 545.4%(1,196)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 647.8%(1,734)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 745.8%(1,291)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 841.9%(427)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.2%(484)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$32,128
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $15,882 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$22,315
+67%since 2000
from $13,346 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
22.8%
+8.2 ptssince 2009
from 14.6% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
37.4%
−3.9 ptssince 2000
from 41.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.521
−10%since 2010
from 0.582 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information14.8%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade6.8%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services5%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance3.3%
US avg: 5.9%
Public administration2.6%
US avg: 4.8%
Professional, scientific, technical2.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Wholesale trade2.3%
US avg: 6.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1.8%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.3%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing0.2%
US avg: 2.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$127,900
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
from $70,100 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$771
+5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $403 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
26.4%
−2.2 ptssince 2000
from 28.7% in 2000
73.6% rent
Vacancy rate
19.7%
+2.3 ptssince 2009
from 17.4% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
1.89 people
−2%since 2009
from 1.93 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
23.7%
+6.1 ptssince 2009
from 17.5% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
53.3%
−10.7 ptssince 2009
from 64.0% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.0
−43%since 2009
from 7.0 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
33
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic64.7%(13,384)
Black23%(4,750)
Hispanic / Latino3%(630)
Asian6.6%(1,373)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic54.2%(12,010)
Black26.3%(5,831)
Hispanic / Latino7.1%(1,567)
Asian7.3%(1,621)
Other5.1%(1,129)
Diversity Score
78
+18%since 2009
from 66 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican5.8%(1,278)
Puerto Rican0.5%(115)
Ecuadorian0.1%(32)
Spaniard0.1%(22)
Cuban0.1%(21)
Argentine0.1%(16)
Colombian0.1%(16)
Peruvian0.1%(12)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.8%(408)
Nepalese1.5%(324)
Korean1.1%(253)
Chinese0.8%(183)
Bangladeshi0.6%(132)
Pakistani0.4%(96)
Filipino0.3%(61)
Indonesian0.1%(29)
Sri Lankan0.1%(26)
Taiwanese0.1%(16)
Malaysian0.1%(13)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
German12.9%(2,853)
English10.1%(2,235)
Irish9.3%(2,054)
Italian4.3%(948)
Polish2%(433)
Scottish2%(433)
Arab1.5%(326)
Norwegian0.9%(208)
American0.9%(203)
French0.7%(153)
Iranian0.5%(117)
+ 32 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.5%(100)
Dutch0.4%(97)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(89)
Portuguese0.4%(86)
Russian0.4%(81)
Hungarian0.3%(64)
British0.3%(63)
Czech0.3%(63)
Romanian0.2%(53)
Nigerian0.2%(41)
Turkish0.2%(41)
Welsh0.2%(40)
Syrian0.2%(39)
West Indian0.2%(35)
Haitian0.2%(35)
Canadian0.1%(33)
Swiss0.1%(32)
Ukrainian0.1%(25)
Greek0.1%(24)
Iraqi0.1%(23)
Ghanaian0.1%(23)
Moroccan0.1%(21)
Croatian0.1%(16)
Macedonian0.1%(15)
Slovene0.1%(14)
Austrian0.1%(13)
Danish0%(10)
Serbian0%(10)
Belgian0%(6)
Slovak0%(5)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
48.2%
+0.3 ptssince 2000
from 47.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
95.3%
+4.6 ptssince 2000
from 90.7% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
23.3%
−0.3 ptssince 2000
from 23.5% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
16.4 min
+54%since 2000
from 10.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
64.1%
−4.5 ptssince 2009
from 68.7% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
9.0%
+1.6 ptssince 2009
from 7.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.7%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 1.5% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
12.0%
+9.0 ptssince 2009
from 2.9% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
9.3%
−5.8 ptssince 2009
from 15.1% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
2.0%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 3.9% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
17.5%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 16.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
10.4%
+0.4 ptssince 2011
from 10.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
54.7%
+1.4 ptssince 2011
from 53.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
68.8%
−1.6 ptssince 2020
from 70.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
20.8%
−3.8 ptssince 2009
from 24.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
45.1%
+8.0 ptssince 2009
from 37.2% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.8%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 52.5% in 2009
Female
49.2%
+1.7 ptssince 2009
from 47.5% in 2009
Foreign born
10.1%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 8.8% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
2.2%
−3.5 ptssince 2009
from 5.7% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
14.4%
+6.7 ptssince 2012
from 7.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
5.3%
−4.3 ptssince 2013
from 9.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
85.3%
+10.1 ptssince 2017
from 75.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
96.6%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 94.9% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
63.4%
+2.9 ptssince 2020
from 60.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
86.5%
+1.4 ptssince 2016
from 85.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
3.5%
−1.0 ptssince 2016
from 4.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married76.5%(7,518)
Married19%(1,869)
Widowed0.9%(88)
Divorced3.6%(358)
Women 15+
Never married62.1%(6,078)
Married21.4%(2,090)
Widowed6%(589)
Divorced10.5%(1,032)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.3%
−4.3 ptssince 2013
from 9.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
41.5%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 42.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
25.7%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 25.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
10.7%
−1.1 ptssince 2020
from 11.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
26.8%
+2.4 ptssince 2020
from 24.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.1%
−1.2 ptssince 2020
from 2.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
66.8%
−1.1 ptssince 2020
from 67.9% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
35.8%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 33.9% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

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
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Carbondale, Illinois?

Carbondale, Illinois has about 22,158 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Carbondale, Illinois?

The typical household in Carbondale, Illinois earns about $32,128 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Carbondale, Illinois expensive?

In Carbondale, Illinois, the median home is worth about $127,900, and the typical rent is about $771 a month.

How educated are people in Carbondale, Illinois?

About 48.2% of adults age 25 and over in Carbondale, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Carbondale, Illinois?

About 37.4% of people in Carbondale, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.

Has Carbondale, Illinois grown since 1990?

Yes, Carbondale, Illinois has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 4,875 residents, a change of about -18 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

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