United States › Illinois › East St. Louis CITY · 2020 ACS
East St. Louis Illinois · 18,469 residents · 13.9 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS 2024 ACS
The short version
East St. Louis is home to 18,469 people in Illinois. That trails the Illinois median by roughly 65%. 12% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 33% national rate. The poverty rate is 30.6%, above the 12.8% national rate. Median home value sits at $53,900. Owners hold 46% of the housing stock.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 39.6
US median: 38.8
Less educated
12% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
More affordable
home values down 14%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01
Population & growth from 31.2 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
16K 23K 29K 36K 43K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 East St. Louis Age distribution, 2020
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $24,009
−25%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $21,324 in 2000
US average: $66,278
from $11,169 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
from 8.0% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
from 35.1% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Professional, scientific, technical 9.5%
Public administration 3.3%
Transportation & warehousing 1.6%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.7%
Education & health services 0.4%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$53,900
−14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $41,600 in 2000
US average: $265,253
$482
−11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $361 in 2000
US average: $1,124
from 52.9% in 2000
54.3% rent
from 2.42 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
from 2.9 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 1.2%(363)
Hispanic / Latino 0.7%(230)
2020
White, non-Hispanic 1.2%(222)
Hispanic / Latino 0.9%(169)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 1 more ancestry group with data from 9.1% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
from 66.3% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
from 2.8% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 17.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
from 67.0% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
from 25.3% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07
Work & employment from 18.3% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
from 49.1% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
US average: 73.3%
from 23.1% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08
People & community from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
from 19.8% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
US average: 91.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married 61.1%(3,797)
Women 15+
Never married 46.3%(4,201)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 19.8% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Direct-purchase
US average: 13.7%
VA health care
US average: 2.3%
Any private
US average: 68.1%
Any public
US average: 35.2%
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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later) 7.2%(127)
Gulf War (1990s) 12.7%(223)
Share of the 1,759 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
Drill deeper
Places similar to East St. Louis Head to head
Compare East St. Louis to nearby cities EAST ST. LOUIS VS
Cahokia Heights
Income $33,792 +41%
Home value $56,000 +4%
Population 16,874 −5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
EAST ST. LOUIS VS
St. Louis
Income $56,160 +134%
Home value $197,500 +266%
Population 278,144 +1473%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
EAST ST. LOUIS VS
Fairview Heights
Income $80,930 +237%
Home value $177,700 +230%
Population 16,175 −9%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
EAST ST. LOUIS VS
Granite City
Income $59,205 +147%
Home value $104,300 +94%
Population 26,807 +52%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in East St. Louis, Illinois? East St. Louis, Illinois has about 18,469 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in East St. Louis, Illinois? The typical household in East St. Louis, Illinois earns about $24,009 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is East St. Louis, Illinois expensive? In East St. Louis, Illinois, the median home is worth about $53,900, and the typical rent is about $482 a month.
How educated are people in East St. Louis, Illinois? About 12.3% of adults age 25 and over in East St. Louis, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in East St. Louis, Illinois? About 30.6% of people in East St. Louis, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.
Has East St. Louis, Illinois grown since 1990? Yes, East St. Louis, Illinois has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 22,475 residents, a change of about -55 percent over that period.
Keep going
Explore from here 