City · Illinois
Carthage, Illinois
Carthage, city, in Hancock County, Illinois. Carthage had 2,393 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 4.4% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 2,490 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,291 (±188). GEOID 1711527.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
2,393
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 2,490 · ACS 2020-2024: 2,291 ±188
Median household income
$77,004
±$9,214 (90% margin)
Illinois: $83,390
Median home value
$112,900
±$10,370 (90% margin)
Illinois: $263,300
Median gross rent
$680
±$81 (90% margin)
Illinois: $1,274
Where is Carthage and what county is it in?
Carthage is a city in Hancock County, Illinois. It covers 2.5 square miles of land, 992 residents per square mile in 2020.
Carthage lies entirely within Carthage Township, a township with its own local government (2020 census blocks).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Carthage, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,393 people lived in Carthage on July 1, 2025, down 4.4% since 2020, a steeper fall than Illinois's (−0.8%). The 2020 Census counted 2,490 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 2,291 (±188).
| Measure | Carthage | Hancock County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,291 ±188 | 17,281 | no clear change |
| Households | 1,081 ±112 | 7,613 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 1.97 ±0.18 | 2.23 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,323 ±116 | 8,938 | no clear change |
Carthage's population since 2000
From 2,725 in 2000 to 2,393 in 2025: down 12.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Carthage as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Carthage?
The median resident of Carthage is 47.1 years old; 15.2% are under 18 and 23.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 83.7%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 7.7%. 4.5% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Carthage | Hancock County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.1 ±4.2 | 46.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 15.2% ±3.5 pts | 21.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 23.4% ±4.7 pts | 24.6% | – |
| Male | 52.1% ±4.2 pts | 50.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7.7% ±3.6 pts | 2.3% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 83.7% ±4.9 pts | 94.0% | −11.6 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.6% ±1.5 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.7% ±1.1 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.6 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 6.0% ±3.2 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.6 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 4.5% ±2.6 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 7.2% ±3.3 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.8% ±2.7 pts | 7.1% | – |
| With a disability | 18.1% ±5.4 pts | 22.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 8.8% ±6.6 pts | 5.7% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 94.2% ±3.0 pts | 93.6% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 34.5% ±7.9 pts | 25.1% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 7.5% ±3.4 pts | 7.6% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 90.3% ±3.9 pts | 91.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.8% ±0.9 pts | 2.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Carthage earn?
Half of Carthage's 1,081 households earn less than $77,004 a year (±$9,214), against $65,865 in Hancock County and $83,390 in Illinois. In 2015-2019 it was $66,919 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 6.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Carthage | Hancock County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $77,004 ±$9,214 | $65,865 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $86,814 ±$10,125 | $83,824 | – |
| Per capita income | $40,867 ±$5,017 | $37,092 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 6.7% ±2.6 pts | 12.3% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 2.0% ±3.3 pts | 15.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 9.2% ±4.2 pts | 13.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 89.9% ±5.7 pts | 90.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 80.6% ±6.6 pts | 82.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Carthage?
Owners occupy 72.6% of Carthage's occupied homes and renters 27.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $112,900 by its owner (±$10,370). The median renter pays $680 a month including utilities, and 19.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Carthage | Hancock County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $112,900 ±$10,370 | $113,800 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $680 ±$81 | $782 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 19.4% ±11.7 pts | 34.6% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,116 ±$67 | $1,134 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 72.6% ±7.2 pts | 81.3% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 27.4% ±7.2 pts | 18.7% | – |
| Housing units | 1,323 ±116 | 8,938 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 1.9% ±3.0 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 16.6% ±11.9 pts | 12.1% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 76.7% ±6.7 pts | 82.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 1.7% ±2.1 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±2.8 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 5.7% ±4.3 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 29.9% ±7.9 pts | 31.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 6.5% ±4.1 pts | 5.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Carthage building?
Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Carthage in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 0.4 per 1,000 residents against 1.5 across Illinois.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Carthage work and get to work?
91.6% of Carthage's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 20.7 minutes.
| Measure | Carthage | Hancock County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 63.9% ±5.1 pts | 58.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.1% ±0.5 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 91.6% ±5.5 pts | 84.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 5.1% ±3.6 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.2% ±0.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 1.4% ±2.5 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 1.4% ±1.5 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 20.7 min ±3.2 | 24.1 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Carthage?
1 census tract lies mostly in Carthage, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9538Hancock County | 2,343 | $77,306 |
| Tract 9543Hancock County | 3,655 | $66,288 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Carthage) · Census block assignment files
How does Carthage compare with other places in Illinois?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Carthage is the 7,050th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 446th-most populous of 1,294 in Illinois.
Carthage ranks 699th of 1,380 places in Illinois with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 446th | 1,294 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 1,257th | 1,347 |
| Residents per square mile | 631st | 1,383 |
| Median household income | 699th | 1,380 |
| Per capita income | 574th | 1,383 |
| Median home value | 1,076th | 1,379 |
| Median gross rent | 1,184th | 1,280 |
| Poverty rate | 823rd | 1,119 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 365th | 1,369 |
| Median age | 182nd | 1,383 |
| Owner-occupied share | 930th | 1,382 |
| Travel time to work | 1,095th | 1,382 |
Carthage's figures with every place in Illinois (CSV)
Every place in Illinois, sortable · Compare Carthage with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Carthage?
18 of the 57 figures for Carthage on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Carthage are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Carthage.