Charleston is a small town with a large college student population. Because of this, there is a real youthful, hip vibe to the place, and much of the life in the town is centered on the college. This has helped Charleston to buck the trend of other small towns that have suffered declining populations over the past 20 to 30 years. Spending by students, and faculty and staff jobs, are a big part of the local economy.
Compared to the rest of the country, citizens of Charleston spend much less time in their cars: on average, their commute to work is only 16.96 minutes. This also means that noise and pollution levels in the city are less than they would otherwise be.
The overall education level of Charleston citizens is substantially higher than the typical US community, as 33.10% of adults in Charleston have at least a bachelor's degree, and the average American community has 21.84%.
The per capita income in Charleston in 2022 was $28,162, which is lower middle income relative to Illinois and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $112,648 for a family of four. However, Charleston contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.
Charleston is a somewhat ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Charleston home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Charleston residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Charleston include German, Irish, English, Italian, and French.
The most common language spoken in Charleston is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Langs. of India.
