61920 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
61938
61920
Opportunity
60 · Top 38%
vs63 · Top 34%
Growth
36 · Bottom 27%
vs48 · Bottom 45%
Climate
67 · Bottom 40%
vs67 · Bottom 40%
Physical resilience
41 · Bottom 32%
vs41 · Bottom 32%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 9%
vs99 · Top 12%
Schools
40 · Bottom 35%
vs39 · Bottom 34%
Access
68 · Bottom 11%
vs76 · Bottom 17%
Economic stability
38 · Bottom 17%
vs44 · Bottom 25%
Measured values
| Metric | 61938 | 61920 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,350 | 20,951 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $57,503 | $52,429 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,570 | $33,403 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 161/sq mi | 141/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $111,700 | $149,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $740 | $812 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.2% | 53.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.2% | 0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.7% | 34.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.7% | 21.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 23 | 6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 0.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -37.8% | 100.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.0" | 36.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 57 mi | 45 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.3 min | 17.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.2 | 30.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.84 | 15.17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 13.3% | 17.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 23.5% | 19.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 61.4% | 49.6% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
61938
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, inland flooding.
61920
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 61938 — Mattoon, IL · 61920 — Charleston, IL · How this is calculated: methodology