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CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Carbondale

Illinois · 27,033 residents · 17.5 sq mi
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The short version

Carbondale is home to 27,033 people in Illinois. The poverty rate is 46.1%, above the 13.2% national rate. 29% of homes are owner-occupied. This skews young, with a median age of 22.5. This is an unusually credentialed place: 46% of adults have a four-year degree. Households here earn about 63% less than in Illinois as a whole.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Younger
median age 22.5
US median: 33.0
More educated
46% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

27,033
+31%vs 2000
vs 20,681 in 2000
1990 – 2025
22.5
−9%vs 2000
vs 24.7 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
17.5 sq mi
Population, 19902024
20K22K24K26K28K19902000201020202024Carbondale
202422K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 54.2%(1,137)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 93.6%(972)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 142.7%(725)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 1917.1%(4,616)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 2434%(9,203)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3415.5%(4,178)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 447.9%(2,123)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 544.3%(1,162)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 643.8%(1,018)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 743.6%(986)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 842.5%(677)
US avg: 4%
85 and over0.9%(236)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$11,821
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $15,882 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
$8,037
−40%vs 2000
vs $13,346 in 2000
US average: $14,340
46.1%
+4.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 41.4% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

$52,500
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $70,100 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
$319
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $403 in 2000
US average: $450
29.0%
+0.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 28.7% in 2000
71.0% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic64.7%(13,384)
Black23%(4,750)
Hispanic / Latino3%(630)
Asian6.6%(1,373)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic74.3%(20,083)
Black17.3%(4,684)
Hispanic / Latino2.9%(789)
Asian7.2%(1,948)
Other1.2%(318)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

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

46.2%
−1.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 47.8% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
87.5%
−3.2 ptsvs 2000
vs 90.7% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
24.8%
+1.3 ptsvs 2000
vs 23.5% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

12.4 min
+16%vs 2000
vs 10.6 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
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

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

5.3%
−4.3 ptssince 2013
from 9.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
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%
10.7%
−1.1 ptssince 2020
from 11.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
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 27,033 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Carbondale, Illinois?

The typical household in Carbondale, Illinois earns about $11,821 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 $52,500, and the typical rent is about $319 a month.

How educated are people in Carbondale, Illinois?

About 46.2% 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 46.1% of people in Carbondale, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.

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

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