Danville receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Danville
Decatur
Opportunity
21 · Bottom 2%
vs23 · Bottom 3%
Growth
8 · Bottom 1%
vs15 · Bottom 5%
Climate
66 · Bottom 38%
vs67 · Bottom 38%
Physical resilience
76 · Top 30%
vs69 · Top 36%
Housing affordability
91 · Top 30%
vs96 · Top 17%
Access
71 · Bottom 13%
vs80 · Bottom 22%
Economic stability
24 · Bottom 3%
vs32 · Bottom 9%
Measured values
| Metric | Danville | Decatur | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 28,595 | 69,815 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $45,957 | $51,592 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $27,503 | $32,769 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,601/sq mi | 1,598/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $79,000 | $99,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $846 | $845 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 57.3% | 62.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.4% | 6.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.5% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.0% | 21.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 24.5% | 19.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2 | 3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 0.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.2" | 36.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 50 mi | 39 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 16.2 min | 19.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.8 | 39.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 20 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.09 | 17.46 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 88.7% | 80.0% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Danville
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, earthquake, tornado.
Decatur
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, tornado.
Full profiles: Danville, IL · Decatur, IL · How this is calculated: methodology