Carthage Jail · National Register of Historic Places
Carthage’s story
193 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1930.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1833Carthage is settled
CarthageIL
5.5 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Illinois town.
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
2,393
2025 Census estimate · −4.4% since 2020
Typical home
$127K
+3% in a year
Household income
$77K
median
Median age
47.1
years
Jobs based here
1,540
Balanced
Is Carthage a good place to live?
Carthage’s best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and civic life and an A for history. 31% of working residents work locally in Carthage, where Illinois’ towns sit at 8.3% and U.S. towns at 8%. Only 65 of Illinois’ 1,284 towns score higher on cost of living. No town in Illinois scores higher than Carthage on civic life. Carthage has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Carthage Jail and Carthage Courthouse Square Historic District. Carthage has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Carthage stand out
Where Carthage beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Carthage18.3
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical IL town3.4
Civic lifeA+
5.5 times the nonprofits per person
than the typical Illinois town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Typical home value
Carthage$127K
Illinois$296K
Cost of livingA+
1.9 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 96% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Carthage JailHistoryA
Settled in 1833
2 places on the National Register
A history going back 193 years.
How Carthage grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Carthage is from typical.
Cost of livingA+Open →HealthMemorial Hospital 1 miles awayB+Open →Jobs & income$77K median household incomeB+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 42% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.9 of 20; 6.5% of households have no car; 1.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →SchoolsBehind 53% of Illinois districts on tests and graduationB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1% conserved landC−Open →History2 places on the National Register; 10 notable people born hereAOpen →Civic life18.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Carthage: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Carthage, and how to reach them.
PowerAmeren Illinois Company16.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCarthage water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Carthage’s trash rules yet
SchoolsIllini West High School District 307Carthage Elementary School District 3172 districts serve Carthage; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Illinois you can register online until 16 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 28 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereHancock County ClerkHancock County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6232162321 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Carthage.
HousingCost of living grade A+
A typical Carthage home is worth about $127K
The typical Carthage home is worth about $127,000, up 3% in a year, 57% below the Illinois typical home. At $680 a month, Carthage’s median rent is below both Illinois’ towns ($1,129 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
$127KZillow home value
| Carthage | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $680 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Carthage$127K
Illinois$296K
+3%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthB+
Residents of Carthage are healthier than 73% of U.S. towns
Carthage beats the Illinois average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 32% of Carthage adults sleep under 7 hours.
73%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Carthage | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 35% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 17% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 13% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
8 better21 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Carthage | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.1% | 15.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.4% | 13.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.8% | 7.6% |
Memorial Hospital
1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Carthage
Carthage has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 17° and about 22 inches of snow falls in a winter.
22″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–37°
Spring42–63°
Summer64–84°
Fall44–65°
Oct 22
typical first frost
Apr 13
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
A job hub: Carthage has 1.3 jobs for every working resident and draws in 1,170 commuters
About one in 3 of Carthage’s working residents works in town. The average trip to work in Carthage is 21 minutes. Since 2013, Carthage has added 569 jobs, to 1,540 in 2023.
31%work in town
| Carthage | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 6.7% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Carthage31%
Macomb6%
Keokuk3%
Galesburg3%
Rozetta Township3%
24 mi
median commute distance
1,540
jobs based in Carthage
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 54% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Fewer children than Illinois overall
Children under 18 are 15% of residents (22% statewide); people 65 and older are 23% of residents (17% statewide). Carthage’s median age is 47.1 years. Carthage has lost 4.4% of its people since 2020, down to 2,393 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
47.1median age · IL 39
| Carthage | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 15% | 22% | 22% |
| Median age | 47.1 years | 40.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 23% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 29% | 29% |
CarthageIllinoisUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma6%
High school27%
Some college22%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s27%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.7 points. Across Illinois, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Carthage | IL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.3% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.8% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.7% | 13.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.8% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.1% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.2% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 13.2% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.8% | 9.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.7% | 25.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.1% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.9% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 27% | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.5% | 15.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,400, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Carthage
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 58% of U.S. communities. Since 1993, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Carthage.
42risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHeat wavesCold waves
4
paid flood claims since 1993
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.7%conserved
0.7%
conserved · 12 of 1,602 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Joe Grate Sports Complex | — | 9 |
| 2. WOW Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Carthage
19pages on Carthage
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Carthage; the nearest are
Western Illinois UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Macomb23.5 mi$15,264 in-state tuitionSoutheastern Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · West Burlington, IA27.7 mi$6,420 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Carthage residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
Landmarks
2 places in Carthage on the National Register of Historic Places.
Famous people from Carthage
10 notable people were born in Carthage.
A
A. Gilbert WrightAmerican zoologist · 1909–1987
About Carthage
City in the United States
Carthage is a city in and the county seat of Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Its population was 2,490 as of the 2020 census. Carthage is best known for being the site of the 1844 killing of Joseph Smith, who founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1838
- Area
- 2.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 669 ft
- ZIP code
- 62321
- Area code
- 217
Questions about Carthage
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Carthage, IL a good place to live?
5.5 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Illinois town.
Is Carthage, IL expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.
What is Carthage, IL known for?
10 notable people were born here, including Virginia Cherrill and Rip Williams.