Glen Carbon, Illinois Demographics & Population 2026

Population Overview

Glen Carbon is a small city located in Illinois, within Madison County. The total population is 13,977. It ranks as the 177th most populous out of 1,445 Census-designated places in Illinois.

Age Demographics

The median age in Glen Carbon is 40.4 years. This is 4% higher than the state median of 39.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Glen Carbon is $97,168. This is 17% higher than the state median of $83,390. It is also 20% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 4.9%. This is 58% lower than the state poverty rate of 11.8%. This exceptionally low poverty rate indicates strong economic prosperity across the community. The unemployment rate is 4.3%. This is 26% lower than the state rate of 5.8%. The median home value is $282,000. Housing costs are 7% higher than the state median of $263,300. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.9x, Glen Carbon is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 69.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 3% higher than the state average of 67.1%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Glen Carbon is White (non-Hispanic), making up 81.8% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 9.3%. The Hispanic or Latino population (2.1%) is well below the state average of 18.8%. The Asian population (0.7%) is well below the state average of 5.9%.

Education

50.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Glen Carbon in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 34% higher than the state rate of 37.9%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 97.4%. Notably, 18.3% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Glen Carbon, Illinois is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Illinois state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 1,445 Census-designated places in Illinois. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.