Carthage receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Mattoon
Carthage
Opportunity
58 · Top 46%
vs65 · Top 32%
Growth
40 · Bottom 32%
vs50 · Bottom 49%
Climate
67 · Bottom 38%
vs71 · Top 45%
Physical resilience
41 · Bottom 32%
vs50 · Bottom 43%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 34%
Access
69 · Bottom 11%
vs68 · Bottom 11%
Economic stability
35 · Bottom 12%
vs33 · Bottom 9%
Measured values
| Metric | Mattoon | Carthage | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,586 | 15,574 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $51,597 | $51,328 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,738 | $25,235 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,608/sq mi | 1,287/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $97,700 | $146,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $740 | $975 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 55.8% | 53.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.2% | 1.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.5% | 22.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 21.3% | 27.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 23 | 60 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 3.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -37.8% | -27.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 25°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.0" | 45.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 56 mi | 52 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.2 min | 17.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.8 | 32.2 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Mattoon
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, inland flooding.
Carthage
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, tornado, drought.
Full profiles: Mattoon, IL · Carthage, MO · How this is calculated: methodology