Charleston, IL Demographics

A map of Charleston's Population by Race

Charleston, Illinois has an estimated population of 17,062, a slight decrease from the 17,286 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 82.7% White, 6.8% Black, 4.5% Hispanic, 3.3% Multiracial, 2.0% Asian, and 0.8% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Charleston, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Charleston 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 Charleston, that probability was 37.3% in 2020 and 30.8% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Charleston is ranked the 149th 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). Charleston was ranked the 148th most populous place in the 2020 Census.

Charleston's White Population

14,109 residents of Charleston, or 82.7% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Charleston is significantly higher than in Illinois overall, where 58.1% of the population is White. Charleston ranks 1138th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 1,461 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Charleston's White population has grown by an estimated 4.1%. White residents' share of Charleston's population has increased from 78.4% to 82.7%.

Charleston is less White than neighboring Janesville (100% White), Lerna (98.7% White), Ashmore (91.3% White), Westfield (93% White), and Mattoon (89.2% White).

Charleston's Black Population

1,166 residents of Charleston, or 6.8% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Charleston is lower than in Illinois overall, where 13.3% of the population is Black. Charleston ranks 157th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 1,461 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Charleston's Black population has declined by an estimated 18.3%. Black residents' share of Charleston's population has decreased from 8.3% to 6.8%.

Charleston is more Black than neighboring Janesville (0% Black), Lerna (0% Black), Westfield (1% Black), and Mattoon (2.6% Black). Charleston is less Black than neighboring Ashmore (7.4% Black).

Charleston's Asian Population

335 residents of Charleston, or 2.0% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Charleston is slightly lower than in Illinois overall, where 5.9% of the population is Asian. Charleston ranks 201st statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 1,461 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Charleston's Asian population has declined by an estimated 23.5%. Asian residents' share of Charleston's population has decreased from 2.5% to 2.0%.

Charleston is more Asian than neighboring Janesville (0% Asian), Lerna (0% Asian), Ashmore (0% Asian), Westfield (0% Asian), and Mattoon (0.2% Asian).

Charleston's Hispanic Population

760 residents of Charleston, or 4.5% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Charleston is considerably lower than in Illinois overall, where 18.8% of the population is Hispanic. Charleston ranks 442nd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 1,461 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Charleston's Hispanic population has declined by an estimated 24.8%. Hispanic residents' share of Charleston's population has decreased from 5.8% to 4.5%.

Charleston is more Hispanic than neighboring Janesville (0% Hispanic), Lerna (0% Hispanic), Ashmore (0.8% Hispanic), Westfield (1.2% Hispanic), and Mattoon (4.2% Hispanic).

Charleston's Native American/Other Population

134 residents of Charleston, or 0.8% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Charleston is comparable to the share in Illinois overall, where 0.5% of the population is Native American/Other. Charleston ranks 89th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 1,461 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Charleston's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 34.6%. Native American/Other residents' share of Charleston's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Charleston is more Native American/Other than neighboring Janesville (0% Native American/Other), Lerna (0% Native American/Other), Ashmore (0% Native American/Other), Westfield (0% Native American/Other), and Mattoon (0.2% Native American/Other).

Charleston's Multiracial Population

558 residents of Charleston, or 3.3% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Charleston is comparable to the share in Illinois overall, where 3.4% of the population is Multiracial. Charleston ranks 618th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 1,461 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Charleston's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 14.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Charleston's population has decreased from 3.8% to 3.3%.

Charleston is more Multiracial than neighboring Janesville (0% Multiracial), Lerna (1.3% Multiracial), and Ashmore (0.6% Multiracial). Charleston is less Multiracial than neighboring Westfield (4.8% Multiracial), and Mattoon (3.6% 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.