Carbondale Reporter

Carbondale has been recognized as the best city in the state for working families, according to a survey by job and career search website ZIppia.

“Working families are the backbone of our community,” Carbondale Economic Development Director Steven Mitchell said on the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce website. “We were thrilled to see that a company that provides career guidance to job seekers, using the most advanced technology available, has discovered what we’ve known all along. Carbondale is a great place to live, learn, work, play and raise a family.”

Located in Jackson County in the southern part of Illinois, Carbondale has a population of 25,900 and is home to Southern Illinois University. Because of its large student population, the town has a lively cultural scene with bars and entertainment venues, numerous restaurants, and several large shopping malls including the University Mall on the east side of town.

Zippia based its judgment on cities where families could balance their work and personal lives. The rankings were also based on information that indicated quality of life. Over 500 cities nationwide were ranked based on percent of median income, childcare costs, average housing prices, the quality of public schools, and commuting time to urban areas.

Zippia's top towns in the country were places where median-income families stood the best chance of being able to save money for retirement and spend quality time with family members.

“This was based on cities where owning a home is attainable, daycare isn’t costly, and the average work week doesn’t keep you from your family because we know how important family dinners are,” the Zippia website read.

The best cities for working families nationwide included Athens, Ohio; Russellville, Arkansas; Cumberland, Maryland; Statesboro, Georgia; Auburn, Alabama; Mount Pleasant, Michigan; Lubbock, Texas; Greenwood, South Carolina; Columbia, Missouri; and Richmond, Kentucky.