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CITY · 2000 CENSUS

Carbondale

Illinois · 20,681 residents · 17.5 sq mi
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The short version

Carbondale is home to 20,681 people in Illinois. The poverty rate is 41.4%, above the 12.4% national rate. 29% of homes are owner-occupied. This skews young, with a median age of 24.7. This is an unusually credentialed place: 48% of adults have a four-year degree. Households here earn about 66% less than in Illinois as a whole.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Younger
median age 24.7
US median: 35.2
More educated
48% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

20,681
−23%since 1990
from 27,033 in 1990
1990 – 2025
24.7
+10%since 1990
from 22.5 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
17.5 sq mi
Population, 19902024
20K22K24K26K28K19902000201020202024Carbondale
202422K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 55%(1,032)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 94.3%(887)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 143.9%(809)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 197.1%(1,475)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 2430.8%(6,374)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3418%(3,727)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 449.1%(1,874)
US avg: 16%
45 to 547.8%(1,620)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 644.6%(960)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 744.1%(838)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 843.5%(722)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.8%(363)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$15,882
+2%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $11,821 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
$13,346
+66%since 1990
from $8,037 in 1990
US average: $21,522
41.4%
−4.7 ptssince 1990
from 46.1% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

$70,100
+1%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $52,500 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
$403
−4%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $319 in 1990
US average: $602
28.7%
−0.4 ptssince 1990
from 29.0% in 1990
71.3% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

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

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

47.8%
+1.7 ptssince 1990
from 46.2% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
90.7%
+3.2 ptssince 1990
from 87.5% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
23.5%
−1.3 ptssince 1990
from 24.8% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

10.6 min
−14%since 1990
from 12.4 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married63.7%(5,907)
Married28.7%(2,661)
Widowed1.7%(153)
Divorced5.9%(547)
Women 15+
Never married53.6%(4,639)
Married28.3%(2,453)
Widowed8.5%(740)
Divorced9.6%(828)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
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 20,681 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Carbondale, Illinois?

The typical household in Carbondale, Illinois earns about $15,882 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 $70,100, and the typical rent is about $403 a month.

How educated are people in Carbondale, Illinois?

About 47.8% 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 41.4% 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 6,352 residents, a change of about -23 percent over that period.

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

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