Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Charleston grades D overall, ranked 709th of 767 in Illinois, mostly because of schools and incomes. Its public schools trail 95% of Illinois towns on state tests and graduation. The median household income is $49K, and 26% of residents live below the poverty line. In its favor, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 87% of U.S. towns. 26% of residents live below the poverty line in Charleston, above both the Illinois town median (8.4%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Charleston is home to Eastern Illinois University. Among 768 Illinois towns, just 5 have a lower share of children under 18 than Charleston.
Where Charleston beats most towns.
Census counts: 849 in 1850, 17,286 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1858 and 3 maps from 1933 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Charleston is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Charleston, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Charleston.
Charleston is shaped by its college students, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has commutes shorter than most of Illinois.
26.3% of residents are enrolled in college, against 6.3% statewide, which pulls the median age down. The median household earns $49,300, against $83,390 across Illinois, one input to its D for jobs and income.
The median age in Charleston is 29.6 years. Adults 18 to 34 are 45% of residents (23% statewide); children under 18 are 12% of residents (22% statewide). 15% of Charleston residents are 65 or older.
| Charleston | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 29.6 years | 40.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 15% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 29% | 29% |
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.3 points. Across Illinois, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Charleston | IL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.1% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 4.7% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 32.4% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.2% | 13.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.6% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.5% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.3% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.5% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.7% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.5% | 9.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.2% | 25.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.5% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.5% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.7% | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 17.6% | 15.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
48% of households own their home in Charleston. Typical home values rose 5.1% in the year to September 2026. Charleston’s median rent is $817 a month.
| Charleston | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 48% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $817 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
3.3 miles of trail in 12 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Coles County Fairgrounds, at 31 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sister City Park | 0.3 mi | 17 |
| 2. Coles County Fairgrounds | — | 31 |
| 3. Lakeview Park | — | 31 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Charleston has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 20° and about 19 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 6,409 working residents takes 15.2 minutes, against 27.8 across Illinois.
About one in 3 of Charleston’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Charleston fell to 7,390 in 2023, 820 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Mattoon (14%), Lafayette Township (5%) and Champaign (4%).
| Charleston | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 31% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 15 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $49,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 8.9% | 11% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 59% of U.S. communities. Since 1996, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Charleston.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 5,523 U.S. towns with household incomes like Charleston’s, it is healthier than 90%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
Charleston beats the Illinois average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. Only 4 of the 767 Illinois towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Charleston.
| Charleston | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 33% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 35% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 78% | 79% |
| What stands out | Charleston | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 9.8% | 11.7% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 11% | 8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
2 within 15 miles of the center of Charleston
College town 26 of every 100 Charleston residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
21,838 counted in 2010 and 17,286 in 2020; an estimated 17,466 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
7 places in Charleston on the National Register of Historic Places.
19 notable people were born in Charleston.
City in Illinois, United States
Charleston is a city in and the county seat of Coles County, Illinois, United States. The population was 17,286, as of the 2020 census. The city is home to Eastern Illinois University and has close ties with its neighbor, Mattoon. Both are principal cities of the Charleston–Mattoon Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Charleston.
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston · Charleston Township | #709 | D | B− | C | D | B− |
| Hutton Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mattoon | #638 | C− | B+ | C | B− | C− |
Hutton Township isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Charleston Township and Charleston are one community, graded once. Compare Charleston with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Charleston grades D overall, better than 11% of U.S. towns and #709 of 767 in Illinois. It grades B− for health, C for safety and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
19 notable people were born here, including Gregg Toland and Charles Clary.
