Bloomington vs Champaign
Bloomington, Illinois versus Champaign, Illinois: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Bloomington and Champaign score about the same overall (48 vs 45 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Bloomington | Champaign |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $73k | $58k |
| Cost of Living | $49k | $49k |
| Home Value | $191k | $191k |
| Monthly Rent | $959 | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.26% | 2.25% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.86% | 8.86% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 13.81% | 15.31% |
| Unemployment | 3.3% | 4.8% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 25°F | 26°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 75°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 38.5 in | 40.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 6.5 in | 20.8 in |
| Sunny Days | 236 days | 236 days |
| Summer Humidity | 66°F | 66°F |
| Comfortable Days | 82 days | 91 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 31.8 | 52.7 |
| Air Quality | 50 AQI | 47 AQI |
| School Quality | 52.8 | 99.6 |
| Violent Crime | 855/100k | 1883/100k |
| Property Crime | 412/100k | 1875/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 78,788 | 88,628 |
| Median Age | 35.9 | 27.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.41 | 0.59 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 1.06 |
| Political Leaning | Even | D+24 |
| White (%) | 72.7% | 56.7% |
| Black (%) | 9.4% | 17.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 6.1% | 6.2% |
| Asian (%) | 8.1% | 15.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.7% | 4.2% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 16 min | 15 min |
| Walkability | 14.4/20 | 13.6/20 |
| Airport Distance | 111 mi | 109 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 87.3% | 88.1% |
| Amenities Nearby | 37.32 | 48.86 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Bloomington or Champaign more affordable?
- Bloomington has the lower cost of living: its index is $49k, compared with Bloomington's $49k and Champaign's $49k. Median rent is $959 in Bloomington versus $1k in Champaign.
- Is Bloomington or Champaign safer?
- Bloomington has the lower violent crime rate. Bloomington reports 855/100k and Champaign reports 1883/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Bloomington or Champaign?
- The median home value is $191k in Bloomington and $191k in Champaign, so homes are more affordable in Bloomington.