Champaign vs Urbana
Champaign, Illinois versus Urbana, 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 Urbana score about the same overall (45 vs 44 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Champaign | Urbana |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $58k | $41k |
| Cost of Living | $49k | $49k |
| Home Value | $191k | $175k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $910 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.25% | 2.60% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.86% | 8.86% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 15.31% | 19.00% |
| Unemployment | 4.8% | 5.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 26°F | 26°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 40.8 in | 40.2 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 20.8 in | 20.8 in |
| Sunny Days | 236 days | 236 days |
| Summer Humidity | 66°F | 66°F |
| Comfortable Days | 91 days | 88 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 52.7 | 51.5 |
| Air Quality | 47 AQI | 47 AQI |
| School Quality | 99.6 | 88.0 |
| Violent Crime | 1883/100k | 2306/100k |
| Property Crime | 1875/100k | 2693/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 88,628 | 38,741 |
| Median Age | 27.0 | 25.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.59 | 0.58 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.06 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | D+24 | D+24 |
| White (%) | 56.7% | 56.1% |
| Black (%) | 17.0% | 16.8% |
| Hispanic (%) | 6.2% | 8.4% |
| Asian (%) | 15.9% | 14.7% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.2% | 4.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 15 min | 15 min |
| Walkability | 13.6/20 | 14.0/20 |
| Airport Distance | 109 mi | 104 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 88.1% | 80.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 48.86 | 105.57 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | 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 Champaign or Urbana more affordable?
- Urbana has the lower cost of living: its index is $49k, compared with Champaign's $49k and Urbana's $49k. Median rent is $1k in Champaign versus $910 in Urbana.
- Is Champaign or Urbana safer?
- Champaign has the lower violent crime rate. Champaign reports 1883/100k and Urbana reports 2306/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Champaign or Urbana?
- The median home value is $191k in Champaign and $175k in Urbana, so homes are more affordable in Urbana.