Champaign vs Decatur
Champaign, Illinois versus Decatur, Illinois: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Champaign and Decatur score about the same overall (45 vs 46 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Champaign | Decatur |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $58k | $49k |
| Cost of Living | $49k | $46k |
| Home Value | $191k | $97k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $770 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.25% | 2.19% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.86% | 8.86% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 15.31% | 12.25% |
| Unemployment | 4.8% | 8.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 26°F | 27°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 75°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 40.8 in | 40.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 20.8 in | 13.6 in |
| Sunny Days | 236 days | 236 days |
| Summer Humidity | 66°F | 66°F |
| Comfortable Days | 91 days | 86 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 52.7 | 40.8 |
| Air Quality | 47 AQI | 26 AQI |
| School Quality | 99.6 | 69.3 |
| Violent Crime | 1883/100k | 2242/100k |
| Property Crime | 1875/100k | 2487/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 88,628 | 70,975 |
| Median Age | 27.0 | 39.7 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.59 | 0.47 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.06 | 0.90 |
| Political Leaning | D+24 | R+18 |
| White (%) | 56.7% | 66.7% |
| Black (%) | 17.0% | 23.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 6.2% | 3.0% |
| Asian (%) | 15.9% | 1.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.2% | 5.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 15 min | 18 min |
| Walkability | 13.6/20 | 7.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 109 mi | 109 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 88.1% | 80.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 48.86 | 14.23 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Good |
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 Champaign or Decatur more affordable?
- Decatur has the lower cost of living: its index is $46k, compared with Champaign's $49k and Decatur's $46k. Median rent is $1k in Champaign versus $770 in Decatur.
- Is Champaign or Decatur safer?
- Champaign has the lower violent crime rate. Champaign reports 1883/100k and Decatur reports 2242/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Champaign or Decatur?
- The median home value is $191k in Champaign and $97k in Decatur, so homes are more affordable in Decatur.