Carmi, Illinois
City
EtymologyBiblical: Carmi, nephew of Jacob.
CountryUnited States
StateIllinois
CountyWhite
Founded1816
Unit prefImperial
Area total6.79 km²
Area total2.62 sq mi
Area land6.71 km²
Area land2.59 sq mi
Area water0.08 km²
Area water0.03 sq mi
Population as of2020
Population total4865
Population density725.41 km²
Population density1879.10 sq mi
Time zoneCST (UTC-6)
Time zone (DST)CDT (UTC-5)
Elevation390 ft
Coordinates38°05′10″N 88°10′19″W
ZIP code62821
Area code618
FIPS code17-11293
GNIS ID2393751[1]
Websitewww.cityofcarmi.org

Carmi (CAR-mī-') is a city in and the county seat of White County, Illinois, United States, along the Little Wabash River. As of the 2020 census, Carmi had a population of 4,865.[2]

History

Carmi post office has been in operation since 1817,[3] and then a WPA oil on canvas mural called Service to the Farmer by Davenport Griffen was first displayed there in 1939. Carmi is a biblical name.[4]

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Carmi has a total area of 2.531 square miles (6.56 km2), of which 2.5 square miles (6.47 km2) (or 98.78%) is land and 0.031 square miles (0.08 km2) (or 1.22%) is water.[5]

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Carmi had a population of 4,865. The median age was 44.7 years. 20.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 25.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 87.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 83.3 males age 18 and over.[6][7]

99.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.1% lived in rural areas.[8]

There were 2,109 households in Carmi, of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 39.7% were married-couple households, 20.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 34.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 39.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[6]

There were 2,431 housing units, of which 13.2% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.6%.[6]

Racial composition as of the 2020 census[7]
RaceNumberPercent
White4,53093.1%
Black or African American270.6%
American Indian and Alaska Native70.1%
Asian410.8%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander90.2%
Some other race230.5%
Two or more races2284.7%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)871.8%

2000 census

As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 5,422 people, 2,390 households, and 1,477 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,187.7 inhabitants per square mile (844.7 /km2). There were 2,667 housing units at an average density of 1,076.1 inhabitants per square mile (415.5 /km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.30% White, 0.48% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.06% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.65% of the population.

There were 2,390 households, out of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.2% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.78.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.4% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 25.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,667, and the median income for a family was $32,456. Males had a median income of $30,735 versus $16,693 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,886. About 11.7% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.4% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

College

Public

Private

Media

Radio

Print

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ^
  2. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
  3. ^ "White County". Jim Forte Postal History. Archived from the original on 5 February 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  4. ^ Allen, John W. (January 11, 1963). "Place Names Have Colorful History". The Southeast Missourian. p. 6. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  5. ^ "G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2020-02-13. Retrieved 2015-12-25.
  6. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  7. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  8. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  9. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.