Because Carbondale has a very large number of students who are 18 years or older and in college, it is thought of as a college town. This has a major influence on local Carbondale lifestyle, entertainment, and culture in general. Life in Carbondale is very much tied to the academic calendar: when students return from the summer break in the fall, one will notice them out and about, buying groceries, out with friends, and generally getting re-acquainted with each other. In Carbondale people study hard and play hard, and there is ample opportunity to do both.
Carbondale, while not large, also appears to be attractive to some younger, educated professionals, who help shape the character of the city.
Residents of the city have the good fortune of having one of the shortest daily commutes compared to the rest of the country. On average, they spend only 16.49 minutes getting to work every day.
The citizens of Carbondale are among the most well-educated in the nation: 46.40% of adults in Carbondale have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree, whereas the average US city has 21.84% holding at least a bachelor's degree.
The per capita income in Carbondale in 2022 was $24,038, which is low income relative to Illinois and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $96,152 for a family of four. However, Carbondale contains both very wealthy and poor people as well. Carbondale also has one of the higher rates of people living in poverty in the nation, with 37.86% of its population below the federal poverty line.
Carbondale is an extremely ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Carbondale home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Carbondale residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Carbondale include German, Irish, English, Italian, and Polish.
The most common language spoken in Carbondale is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Arabic.
