Normal is a larger medium-sized town located in the state of Illinois. With a population of 53,594 people and 13 constituent neighborhoods, Normal is the 28th largest community in Illinois.

Also of interest is that Normal has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

Telecommuters are a relatively large percentage of the workforce: 9.68% of people work from home. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce it is high relative to the nation. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Because Normal has a very large number of students who are 18 years or older and in college, it is thought of as a college town. This has a major influence on local Normal lifestyle, entertainment, and culture in general. Life in Normal is very much tied to the academic calendar: when students return from the summer break in the fall, one will notice them out and about, buying groceries, out with friends, and generally getting re-acquainted with each other. In Normal people study hard and play hard, and there is ample opportunity to do both.

Not only is Normal a town with many college students, but it also retains many recent graduates who are looking to start new careers, shaping the character of the town into a place that is geared toward, and considered attractive to, many single, educated people. Many singles consider Normal a good place to live without being in a really big city, with opportunities for friendships and fun with others like themselves.

Residents of the town have the good fortune of having one of the shortest daily commutes compared to the rest of the country. On average, they spend only 18.01 minutes getting to work every day.

If knowledge is power, Normal is a pretty powerful place. 52.31% of the adults in Normal have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns.

The per capita income in Normal in 2018 was $31,516, which is middle income relative to Illinois and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $126,064 for a family of four. However, Normal contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Normal is a very ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Normal home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Normal residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Normal include German, Irish, English, Polish, and Italian.

The most common language spoken in Normal is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and French.