What it's like to live in Charleston
Charleston is a small city in Illinois with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Charleston deals with household incomes below the national average, a poverty rate above the national average, cold winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- High poverty rate
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Charleston compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Charleston
Based on Charleston's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,634
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $32,680 a year
- 48% of Charleston renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$27,480
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $13,740
- Homes cost 2.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 42% below US
$817/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $817 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $137,400. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $137,400 · 48% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.8% county unemployment
Unemployment in Coles County is 3.8%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Coles County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 23% below US
254 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1606/100k · Charleston Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 42% below US
15 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 15.2 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 87°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 24°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
33% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 33% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is George Rogers Clark National Historical Park (65 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Charleston's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and a poverty rate above the national average. A year of median rent ($817/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes.
Other places near Charleston
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