† Citizen voting-age population estimated for prior cycles; 2004 predates the ACS and is extrapolated. Source: ACS 5-year, table B05003.
——
D+60R+60
20042024
Boundary by 2024 margin · Precinct returns · VEST · MIT Election Lab
People and households
Who lives here
Exact values for this place, its state, and the United States.
Race · ethnicity · ancestry
Communities and origins
GroupCharlestonIllinoisUnited States
German21.4%16.1%12.5%
Irish13.8%10.6%9.4%
English11.1%6.9%9.5%
American5.7%3.3%5.3%
Italian1.7%5.4%4.8%
Scottish1.3%—1.3%
Dutch1.2%——
Polish1.0%6.0%2.2%
African American†6.3%12.1%9.9%
Mexican3.3%14.4%11.3%
Puerto Rican0.5%1.7%1.8%
Colombian0.2%0.3%0.4%
Asian Indian0.7%2.1%1.4%
Filipino0.7%1.0%0.9%
Chinese0.4%1.0%1.3%
Korean0.4%0.4%0.4%
Hispanic or Latino counts residents of any race; the race groups count only their non-Hispanic residents, so the groups are mutually exclusive and sum to 100%. Expand a row to see ancestries reported within that group.
Age and life stage
Measure
Charleston
Illinois
United States
Median age
29.6
39.1
39.1
Age 18–24
32.4%
9.1%
9.2%
Age 65 and older
15.2%
16.9%
17.2%
Household economy
Measure
Charleston
Illinois
United States
Median household income
$49,300
$83,390
$84,427
Poverty rate
26.3%
11.8%
12.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher (25+)
33.3%
37.9%
35.6%
Languages at home
Measure
Charleston
Illinois
United States
Speaks a non-English language at home
4.9%
24.1%
22.3%
Spanish
1.6%
14.0%
13.6%
Other Indo-European
1.1%
2.6%
2.0%
Religious landscape
Measure
Charleston
Illinois
United States
Catholic
—
24.2%
18.6%
Evangelical Protestant
—
11.7%
16.5%
Unclaimed / not counted
—
49.2%
51.5%
American Community Survey 2024 5-year (CVAP, income, age, poverty, education, language, race, ancestry) · presidential returns from MIT Election Lab through 2024 · 2020 U.S. Religion Census (ASARB) — congregational adherents; unclaimed is the residual not counted by congregations.
Charleston, Illinois
presidential history
Presidential margin, 2004–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
Presidential margin over time
Year
Margin (D minus R)
2004
−0.3%
2008
+18.2%
2012
+8.1%
2016
−1.7%
2020
+1.2%
2024
−1.9%
DemocraticRepublican
6 presidential elections
Third column names the leading third-party or independent finisher. Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024). Swing · margin change from the prior cycle. vs U.S. · margin relative to the national result that year. Third-party votes in 2012 are allocated from certified county totals by this place's share of each county's two-party vote — that cycle's precinct source records two-party splits. † 2004 sub-county results are estimated: the source's block-level detail for this cycle was unreliable — either county/municipality-level consolidated reporting (COVID-era) or a precinct-to-block allocation that misplaced votes — so the figures are allocated from the constituent county totals in proportion to the place and scaled to certified totals.
Year
Won
Democratic
Republican
Other
Margin
Swing
vs U.S.
Total
R
47.5%Harris3,311
49.4%Trump3,441
3.1%
R+1.9
R+3.1
R+0.4
6,968
D
49.2%Biden3,681
47.9%Trump3,589
2.9%
D+1.2
D+2.9
R+3.2
7,487
R
44.9%Clinton3,349
46.6%Trump3,477
8.6%
R+1.7
R+9.8
R+3.8
7,465
D
52.8%Obama3,919
44.7%Romney3,319
2.5%
D+8.1
R+10.1
D+4.2
7,426
D
58.1%Obama4,845
39.9%McCain3,331
2.0%
D+18.2
D+18.5
D+10.9
8,341
R
49.7%Kerry3,931
50.0%Bush3,956
0.4%
R+0.3
—
D+2.1
7,915
Charleston's electorate is shaped by the presence of Eastern Illinois University, which enrolls roughly 7,000 students in a city of about 17,000, creating a demographic mix that has kept Coles County competitive in statewide races.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 18.2 points in 2008 and a Republican high of 1.9 points in 2024. Between 2020 and 2024 the city moved 3.1 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 1.9 points.
A population of 17,062, a 83% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $49,300 describe the city. The city's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Platteville and Warrensburg.
Akashic
Political twins — cities
The cities whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
In 2024, Charleston, Illinois voted Republican by 1.9 points (R+1.9), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 6,968 votes cast, 3,311 went Democratic and 3,441 went Republican.
When did Charleston, Illinois last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which Charleston, Illinois voted Democratic was 2020.
How many people live in Charleston, Illinois?
Charleston, Illinois has a population of 17,062 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Charleston, Illinois?
Median household income in Charleston, Illinois is $49,300 — below the national median of $80,734. The Illinois state median is $83,390.
What is the political history of Charleston, Illinois?
Akashic tracks 6 presidential elections in Charleston, Illinois from 2004 to 2024. Of those, 3 went Democratic and 3 went Republican.
