Cairo

County:: Alexander County
County Seat:: Yes
Area (mi²):: 6.987
State:: Illinois

Cairo is a city located in Alexander County, Illinois. Cairo has a 2025 population of 1,452. It is also the county seat of Alexander County. Cairo is currently declining at a rate of -3.52% annually and its population has decreased by -15.38% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 1,716 in 2020.

The average household income in Cairo is $47,868 with a poverty rate of 21.49%.The median age in Cairo is 43.2 years: 39.9 years for males, and 48 years for females.

Demographics

The racial composition of Cairo includes 67.45% Black or African American, 26.9% White, and smaller percentages for and multiracial populations.

Population by Race

Race	Population	Percentage (of total)
Black or African American	1,146	67.45%
White	457	26.9%
Two or more races	96	5.65%

Cairo Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

Never Married

Economics and Income Statistics

Cairo's average per capita income is $35,278. Household income levels show a median of $35,493. The poverty rate stands at 21.49%.

Families: A family includes the owner or renter of the home along with everyone related to them - whether through birth, marriage, or adoption. This includes relatives like spouses, children, parents, siblings, grandparents, and any other family members.

Households: A household includes all the people who occupy a housing unit (such as a house or apartment) as their usual place of residence.

Non Families: A nonfamily household is either someone living alone or when the owner/renter lives with people they aren't related to, like roommates.

Name	Median	Mean
Married Families	$75,250	-
Families	$53,094	$66,931
Households	$35,493	$47,868
Non Families	$25,556	$27,625

$35,278

Average Income

$35,493

Median Household Income

21.49%

Poverty Rate