Best Life Index › States › Illinois › Cities › Champaign

Illinois city profile

What Is It Like to Live in Champaign?

What it costs to live in Champaign, and how it compares with other Illinois cities, in plain numbers.

Value score

27

153rd best value in Illinois

How much you get for what you pay, versus other Illinois cities.

Overall livability

36

134th overall in Illinois

Cost, safety, schools, jobs and quality of life combined.

Champaign is home to about 88,343 people. A typical home runs $167,700 and a household earns around $52,700, a price-to-income ratio of 3.2. Among Illinois's largest cities, it ranks 153rd for value and 134th overall.

Champaign at a glance

Median home price

$167,700

118th in IL of 163

Median rent

$969/mo

Median household income

$52,700

Home price to income

3.2x

Unemployment

5.3%

93rd in IL of 163

School rating

3/10

139th in IL of 163

Air quality (AQI)

45

0th in IL of 163

Walk score

9/100

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‹ See all top Illinois cities ranked  ยท  Illinois state profile ›

Sources: Home prices and rent from Zillow; income, unemployment and commute from the U.S. Census; school ratings from state education data; crime from the FBI; air quality from the EPA. City rankings are within Illinois only. Updated 2026.