Charleston, IL · standard
ZIP Code 61920
Coles County, Illinois - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 25,594
- 66/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $52,429
- Median income Below-median income area
- $149,200
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 34.9%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Charleston pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, mixed-tenure area.
- 17th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 25th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 66
- people per sq mi
- 53%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 61920 against every reporting US ZIP.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 61920 (Charleston, IL) rose +11.6% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 161.6 in 2023 to 180.4 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 61920 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Charleston, Coles County, Illinois, with 25,594 residents across 387.8 square miles, a density of 66 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 61920 reports a modest median household income of $52,429 (35% below the average Illinois ZIP), while per-capita income is $33,403. The poverty rate is 21.7%, so the area-level income figures should not be treated as typical household experience. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $149,200 (22% below the average Illinois ZIP), and median rent is $812; owner occupancy is 53.3%.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 34.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 30.6, and the average commute is 17 minutes. The page also surfaces 2 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 4 more in Coles County, so 61920 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 61920
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Charleston, IL
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 61920.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
95 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
62 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
54 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
46 establishments
- Construction 37
Construction
37 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 61920, Charleston, IL · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
25,594
Population
387.8
Area (sq mi)
66
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 61920?
30.6
Median Age
48.7%
Male
51.3%
Female
3.7%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$52,429
Median Household Income
-35% vs state ZIP avg
$33,403
Per Capita Income
21.7%
Poverty Rate
5.7%
Unemployment Rate
16.5 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 61920 ranks among Illinois ZIPs
Charleston, IL household income vs. every Illinois ZIP code
Median household income among 1,334 reporting Illinois ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$52,429 12th percentile higher than 12% of 1,334 Illinois ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Illinois ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
9,621housing units
9,621
Total Housing Units
8,843
Occupied Units
778
Vacant Units
1.99
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$149,200
Median Home Value
-22% vs state ZIP avg
$812
Median Rent
1979
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+11.6%
YoY Change (2024)
180
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+80%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 61920 have increased 11.6% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +80% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +2.8% | 123 |
| 2021 | +7.6% | 133 |
| 2022 | +12.9% | 150 |
| 2023 | +7.9% | 162 |
| 2024 | +11.6% | 180 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 429 business establishments in ZIP 61920, employing approximately 5,547 people with a combined annual payroll of $190,841,000.
429
Businesses
5,547
Employees
$190.8M
Annual Payroll
14
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 95 | 22.1% |
| Retail trade | 62 | 14.4% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 54 | 12.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 46 | 10.7% |
| Construction | 37 | 8.6% |
| Finance and insurance | 23 | 5.4% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 23 | 5.4% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 22 | 5.1% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 21 | 4.9% |
| Manufacturing | 15 | 3.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 10 | 2.3% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 8 | 1.9% |
| Information | 6 | 1.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 5 | 1.2% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 61920 vs 61912 →
ZIP 61920 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 61920
Charleston (61920)
25,594 residents
- 61912 1,344
Ashmore (61912)
1,344 residents
- 62440 1,316
Lerna (62440)
1,316 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 61920 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 61920 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 62440
Lerna (62440)
$79,605 median income
- 61912
Ashmore (61912)
$74,954 median income
- 61920
Charleston (61920)
$52,429 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 61920 ranks #3 of 3 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 61920, both outside IL so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (25,594 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Coles County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 61920 in?
ZIP code 61920 (Charleston) is located in Coles County, Illinois. Coles County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/coles-il.
What is the population of ZIP code 61920?
ZIP code 61920 in Charleston, IL has a population of 25,594 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 61920?
The median household income in ZIP 61920 is $52,429, which is 31% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 61920?
The median home value in ZIP 61920 is $149,200, which is 46% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 61920?
The largest racial group in ZIP 61920 is White at 87.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 4.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 61920?
ZIP code 61920 has 429 business establishments employing approximately 5,547 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 61920?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 61920 are: Health care and social assistance (95), Retail trade (62), Other services (except public administration) (54). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 61920?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 61920 increased by 11.6% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 80%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 61920?
In ZIP code 61920, 62.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 34.9% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 61920?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 61920 is 16.5 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 61920?
In ZIP code 61920, approximately 53.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 46.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 61920?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 61920 is 21.7% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 61920's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 61920 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Charleston, IL ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.