Carbondale is a medium-sized city located in the state of Illinois. With a population of 21,717 people and nine associated neighborhoods, Carbondale is the 110th largest community in Illinois.

A relatively large number of people in Carbondale telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 7.40% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Carbondale is also a major college town with a large number of people who are 18 years or older and attending college. As is often the case in college towns, the many students that live in Carbondale have a strong influence on the local culture and entertainment scene, which may seem dormant by comparison in the summer months when much of the student population is away. In the fall, the return of students has a reinvigorating effect on the community. Because colleges are lasting institutions, they have a stabilizing effect on the economy by providing direct local benefits such as jobs for faculty and staff and spending by students. Carbondale’s economy is one such example of this.

Carbondale, while not large, also appears to be attractive to some younger, educated professionals, who help shape the character of the city.

Compared to the rest of the country, citizens of Carbondale spend much less time in their cars: on average, their commute to work is only 16.49 minutes. This also means that noise and pollution levels in the city are less than they would otherwise be.

The education level of Carbondale ranks among the highest in the nation. Of the 25-and-older adult population in Carbondale, 46.40% have at least a bachelor's degree. The typical US community has just 21.84% of its adults holding a bachelor's degree or graduate degree.

The per capita income in Carbondale in 2022 was $24,038, which is low income relative to Illinois and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $96,152 for a family of four. However, Carbondale contains both very wealthy and poor people as well. Carbondale also has one of the higher rates of people living in poverty in the nation, with 37.86% of its population below the federal poverty line.

Carbondale is an extremely ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Carbondale home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Carbondale residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Carbondale include German, Irish, English, Italian, and Polish.

The most common language spoken in Carbondale is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Arabic.