62901 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
62203
62901
Opportunity
25 · Bottom 5%
vs32 · Bottom 10%
Growth
17 · Bottom 5%
vs23 · Bottom 10%
Climate
72 · Top 41%
vs73 · Top 36%
Physical resilience
43 · Bottom 33%
vs38 · Bottom 30%
Housing affordability
73 · Bottom 39%
vs69 · Bottom 34%
Schools
17 · Bottom 7%
vs20 · Bottom 10%
Access
93 · Bottom 49%
vs98 · Top 23%
Economic stability
18 · Bottom 2%
vs19 · Bottom 2%
Measured values
| Metric | 62203 | 62901 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,465 | 22,946 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $42,111 | $35,089 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $25,390 | $23,836 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 967/sq mi | 848/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $68,700 | $146,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,050 | $754 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.6% | 30.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.2% | 6.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.3% | 48.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 24.3% | 33.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 13 | 1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 0.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -87.0% | -50.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 89°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 25°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.8" | 44.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 19 mi | 11 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.5 min | 17.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.0 | 25.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.44 | 13.98 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 3.0% | 6.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 4.0% | 11.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 98.5% | 69.8% | 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
62203
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
62901
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind.
Full profiles: 62203 — East St. Louis, IL · 62901 — Carbondale, IL · How this is calculated: methodology