Population 19,876 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Charleston: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Charleston
Household size in Charleston
| Period | Charleston | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.05 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.31 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.24 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.02 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.03 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Charleston is a place of small households, averaging 2.02 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Households are largest in the west and smallest in the center. Only six of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people have smaller households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Charleston
| Period | Charleston | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.7 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 33.9 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 34.1 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.9 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.2 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Charleston is 36.9 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 33.7, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the south and oldest in the east.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Charleston
| Period | Charleston | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.3% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.5% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.8% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in twelve households in Charleston (8.8%), below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 1.5 points, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Charleston
Renters in Charleston
| Period | Charleston | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 48.0% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 49.3% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 47.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 47.2% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Charleston than nationally: 47.2% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. Among owners, 51.6% have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is down 0.8 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose. Only 11 of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of renters.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Charleston
| Period | Charleston | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.1% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.6% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.8% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Charleston than nationally: 11.8%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Charleston has a higher vacancy rate than at least four in five Illinois cities.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Charleston
| Period | Charleston | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1970 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1968 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1977 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in Charleston was built around 1977, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in Illinois overall, where the median home dates to 1970. The median year built has moved up from 1970 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Charleston
| Period | Charleston | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $689 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $646 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $730 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $823 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$134 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Charleston runs $823 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $134 a month from 2006–10, a 20% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 33.0% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Rents run highest in the east and lowest in the southwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Charleston
Bachelor's degrees in Charleston
| Period | Charleston | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.5% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 34.1% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.8% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 36.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Charleston as nationally: 36.9% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. College graduates are most concentrated in the south and least in the center.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Charleston
| Period | Charleston | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 92.3% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.3% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.3% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.3% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Charleston: 94.3% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 2.0 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Charleston
| Period | Charleston | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.7% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.3% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.5% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.2 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.5%, unemployment in Charleston is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 5.2 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Charleston compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston | 2.02 | 36.9 | 8.8% | 47.2% | 11.8% | 1977 | $823 | 36.9% | 94.3% | 5.5% |
| Loxa | 2.21 | 45.6 | 11.7% | 39.3% | 7.5% | 1981 | $732 | 27.6% | 90.7% | 4.9% |
| Hutton | 2.11 | 49.1 | 7.8% | 39.3% | 5.0% | 1986 | $686 | 26.6% | 83.2% | 5.7% |
| Lerna | 2.46 | 45.6 | 6.5% | 7.9% | 10.8% | 1986 | $827 | 35.0% | 93.9% | 1.6% |
| Ashmore | 2.19 | 48.8 | 7.8% | 15.8% | 7.6% | 1971 | $1,001 | 18.2% | 91.3% | 6.0% |
| Janesville | 2.54 | 52.5 | 6.5% | 12.6% | 4.2% | 1976 | $748 | 23.7% | 96.0% | 0.5% |
| Rardin | 2.77 | 41.1 | 14.9% | 1.9% | 7.6% | 1965 | $670 | 24.9% | 89.1% | 7.9% |
| Maple Point | 2.54 | 49.6 | 5.6% | 11.6% | 7.1% | 1975 | $703 | 18.6% | 97.6% | 1.2% |
| Westfield | 2.18 | 54.9 | 9.5% | 3.7% | 5.8% | 1959 | $612 | 19.1% | 94.1% | 6.5% |
| Mattoon | 2.09 | 42.6 | 14.7% | 39.3% | 8.9% | 1959 | $784 | 21.9% | 89.8% | 6.0% |
| Oilfield | 2.45 | 41.5 | 13.7% | 13.3% | 11.3% | 1970 | $607 | 23.5% | 94.0% | 2.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Dixon, IL · Forest City, NC · Lillington, NC · Exeter, NH · Louisville, OH · Morris, IL · Madison, IN · Marblehead, MA · Monticello, MN · Mattoon, IL
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Charleston. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.