Cairo, IL Demographics

A map of Cairo's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
Black	1,274	1,193	75.7%	68.8%
White	346	434	20.6%	25.0%
Multiracial	61	76	3.6%	4.4%
Hispanic	1	20	0.1%	1.2%
Asian	0	0	0.0%	0.0%
Native American/Other	0	10	0.0%	0.6%

Cairo, Illinois has an estimated population of 1,682, a slight decrease from the 1,733 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 75.7% Black, 20.6% White, 3.6% Multiracial, 0.1% Hispanic, 0.0% Asian, and 0.0% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Cairo, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Cairo has become considerably less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Illinois overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Cairo, that probability was 46.1% in 2020 and 38.3% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Cairo is ranked the 547th most populous place in Illinois, out of 1,461 places. This ranking is based on the Census definition of a place, which includes incorporated places like cities, towns, and villages, as well as unincorporated census-designated places (CDPs). Cairo was ranked the 532nd most populous place in the 2020 Census.

Cairo's White Population

346 residents of Cairo, or 20.6% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Cairo is significantly lower than in Illinois overall, where 58.1% of the population is White. Cairo ranks 1413th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 1,461 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Cairo's White population has declined by an estimated 20.3%. White residents' share of Cairo's population has decreased from 25.0% to 20.6%.

Cairo is more White than neighboring Wilson City (0% White), and Mounds (7.5% White). Cairo is less White than neighboring Wyatt (65.8% White), Mound City (52.3% White), and Wickliffe (77.9% White).

Cairo's Black Population

1,274 residents of Cairo, or 75.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Cairo is significantly higher than in Illinois overall, where 13.3% of the population is Black. Cairo ranks 31st statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 1,461 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Cairo's Black population has grown by an estimated 6.8%. Black residents' share of Cairo's population has increased from 68.8% to 75.7%.

Cairo is more Black than neighboring Wyatt (7.8% Black), Mound City (45.5% Black), Wilson City (64.6% Black), and Wickliffe (13.6% Black). Cairo is less Black than neighboring Mounds (90% Black).

Cairo's Asian Population

0 residents of Cairo, or 0.0% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Cairo is lower than in Illinois overall, where 5.9% of the population is Asian. Cairo ranks 1029th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 1,461 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Cairo's Asian population has grown from 0 to an estimated 0. Asian residents' share of Cairo's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.0%.

Cairo is less Asian than neighboring Mound City (0.3% Asian).

Cairo's Hispanic Population

1 residents of Cairo, or 0.1% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Cairo is significantly lower than in Illinois overall, where 18.8% of the population is Hispanic. Cairo ranks 1206th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 1,461 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Cairo's Hispanic population has declined by an estimated 95.0%. Hispanic residents' share of Cairo's population has decreased from 1.2% to 0.1%.

Cairo is more Hispanic than neighboring Mound City (0% Hispanic), and Wilson City (0% Hispanic). Cairo is less Hispanic than neighboring Wyatt (4.5% Hispanic), Wickliffe (0.8% Hispanic), and Mounds (1.2% Hispanic).

Cairo's Native American/Other Population

0 residents of Cairo, or 0.0% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Cairo is comparable to the share in Illinois overall, where 0.5% of the population is Native American/Other. Cairo ranks 408th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 1,461 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Cairo's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 100.0%. Native American/Other residents' share of Cairo's population has decreased from 0.6% to 0.0%.

Cairo is less Native American/Other than neighboring Mounds (0.4% Native American/Other).

Cairo's Multiracial Population

61 residents of Cairo, or 3.6% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Cairo is comparable to the share in Illinois overall, where 3.4% of the population is Multiracial. Cairo ranks 407th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 1,461 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Cairo's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 19.7%. Multiracial residents' share of Cairo's population has decreased from 4.4% to 3.6%.

Cairo is more Multiracial than neighboring Mound City (1.9% Multiracial), and Mounds (0.9% Multiracial). Cairo is less Multiracial than neighboring Wyatt (21.8% Multiracial), Wilson City (35.4% Multiracial), and Wickliffe (7.8% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.