Centreville, Illinois

Centreville was a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Centreville had a population of 4,232. Historically a predominantly Black and working-class community, Centreville has faced persistent environmental challenges stemming from economic disinvestment, redlining, and neglect by local and state governments. On May 6, 2021, the city ceased to exist, being incorporated along with Alorton and Cahokia into the new city of Cahokia Heights. Before the merger, the city struggled with some of the highest poverty rates in Illinois, compounded by public health threats posed by chronic flooding and raw sewage overflows. The residents and advocates identify these as issues of environmental injustice rooted in racial and economic disparities.

Geography

Centreville was located at (38.584583, -90.103768).

According to the 2010 census, Centreville had a total area of , of which (or 98.67%) was land and (or 1.33%) was water.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Centreville city, Illinois – Racial and ethnic composition

!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!% 2000

!% 2010

|White alone (NH)

|199

|88

|style='background: #ffffe6; |68

|3.34%

|1.66%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.61%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|5,658

|5,121

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3,969

|95.08%

|96.46%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |93.79%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|14

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1

|0.13%

|0.26%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.02%

|Asian alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |8

|0.00%

|0.15%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.19%

|Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3

|0.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.07%

|Other race alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |16

|0.08%

|0.06%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.38%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|47

|51

|style='background: #ffffe6; |129

|0.79%

|0.96%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.05%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|34

|24

|style='background: #ffffe6; |38

|0.57%

|0.45%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.90%

|Total

|5,951

|5,309

|style='background: #ffffe6; |4,232

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Centreville had a population of 4,232. The median age was 36.6 years. 27.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.6% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 81.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.1 males age 18 and over.

There were 1,757 households in Centreville, of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 16.1% were married-couple households, 22.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 55.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. of 2000, there were 5,951 people, 2,125 households, and 1,476 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,363 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.46% African American, 3.38% white, 0.13% Native American, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.57% of the population.

There were 2,125 households, out of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.5% were married couples living together, 35.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.38.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 33.5% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $23,500, and the median income for a family was $27,310. Males had a median income of $32,024 versus $23,528 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,150. About 28.7% of families and 34.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 48.4% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Some of the city was served by Cahokia Unit School District 187. Lalumier K-8 School is located in Centreville. Centerville K-8 is located in an unincorporated area near Centreville.

Some of the city was served by East St. Louis School District 189. Brown Elementary School is located in Centreville.

Poverty

Centreville was the poorest city in the state of Illinois, as well as one of the poorest cities in the nation. The town median household income was $17,441, while the typical home in the area is worth approximately $47,900. The city was located on a Mississippi River floodplain known as American Bottom, and experiences chronic flooding and raw sewage disposal problems due to the area's inadequate system of drainage ditches, levees and emergency pumps.

A key contributor to Centreville’s entrenched poverty is its history of redlining and racial segregation. In the 20th century, Centreville and other towns in the Metro East region were subjected to discriminatory housing policies that limited Black residents’ ability to purchase homes in more prosperous, majority-white neighborhoods. Banks routinely denied loans to Black families, and the federal government excluded these neighborhoods from investments that supported homeownership and community development. These practices created a cycle of disinvestment that left Centreville underdeveloped and vulnerable to economic decline.

As a result, Centreville developed as a predominantly Black, working-class community with limited resources and weak tax bases. Industrial pollution, failing infrastructure, and neglected land use planning further entrenched environmental degradation in the area. The lack of investment in flood control infrastructure and sewage systems can be directly traced to these discriminatory policies. As residents were left to bear the burden of deteriorating services, the city’s ability to address poverty and environmental hazards diminished over time.

Environmental Justice

Centreville’s environmental problems are rooted in decades of racial and economic disparities, with structural neglect in basic services such as sewage and stormwater management. Today, much of the area suffers from frequent flooding, with raw sewage regularly backing up into homes, yards, and streets. These conditions have created severe public health risks for residents and exemplify environmental injustice in a predominantly Black community, as described by organizations such as, Equity Legal Services, Earthjustice and the Natural Resources Defense Council, which have documented the structural racism behind Centreville’s infrastructure failures.

Floodwaters routinely overwhelm residential areas, especially during heavy rainfall. In many cases, sewage overflows from manholes or seeps into basements and kitchens, leaving hazardous waste and terrible odors behind. This issue has persisted for years, affecting the Centreville residents repeatedly. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) officials and local city representatives have publicly acknowledged the severity of the infrastructure failures, but progress has been hampered due to funding delays and lack of coordinated planning.

Community members are also seeking federal help. At town hall meetings, residents and advocates have appealed to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to assist with dredging Harding Ditch and planning sustainable drainage systems. However, the Corps has limited jurisdiction and funding, making such partnerships difficult to obtain.