Carbondale is a medium-sized city located in the state of Illinois. With a population of 22,223 people and nine associated neighborhoods, Carbondale is the 110th largest community in Illinois.

Telecommuters are a relatively large percentage of the workforce: 11.95% of people work from home. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce it is high relative to the nation. 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.

Because Carbondale has a very large number of students who are 18 years or older and in college, it is thought of as a college town. This has a major influence on local Carbondale lifestyle, entertainment, and culture in general. Life in Carbondale is very much tied to the academic calendar: when students return from the summer break in the fall, one will notice them out and about, buying groceries, out with friends, and generally getting re-acquainted with each other. In Carbondale people study hard and play hard, and there is ample opportunity to do both.

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

One of the benefits of Carbondale is that there is very little traffic. The average commute to work is 17.04 minutes, which is substantially less than the national average. Not only does this mean that the drive to work is less aggravating, but noise and pollution levels are lower as a result.

The citizens of Carbondale are among the most well-educated in the nation: 48.15% of adults in Carbondale have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree, whereas the average US city has 21.84% holding at least a bachelor's degree.

The per capita income in Carbondale in 2022 was $22,315, which is low income relative to Illinois and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $89,260 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 37.42% 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, English, Irish, Italian, and Scottish.

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