CARRIER MILLS – The 2020 Census report was made official by the Illinois Secretary of State, with Carrier Mills one of few communities to show an increase in population from the 2010 census to the 2020 census.

The official population of Carrier Mills following the 2020 Census was 1,672. The town had been on a steady decline in population, with the population at 1,653 in 2010.

In 1990, the Census reported that Carrier Mills had a population of 1,993 people, marking a loss of 321 in 30 years. According to the Census information, Carrier Mills reached its peak in 1920 with 3,000 people.

“The local census workers have to be credited for their hard work to make sure everyone in Carrier Mills was counted. There was a lot of knocking on doors and follow-up in our community. This was especially tough work during a pandemic,” said Tracy Felty, Village President.

Here are numbers from neighboring communities in Saline County.

YEAR                    2020    2010    2000

Eldorado              3743    4122    4534
Harrisburg           8219    9017    9860
Galatia                  827      933    1013
Stonefort             224      297    292
Muddy                 61       68      78