Rantoul receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Decatur
Rantoul
Opportunity
23 · Bottom 3%
vs37 · Bottom 14%
Growth
15 · Bottom 5%
vs18 · Bottom 6%
Climate
67 · Bottom 38%
vs60 · Bottom 14%
Physical resilience
69 · Top 36%
vs68 · Top 39%
Housing affordability
96 · Top 17%
vs91 · Top 29%
Schools
8 · Bottom 1%
vs19 · Bottom 10%
Access
80 · Bottom 22%
vs79 · Bottom 21%
Economic stability
32 · Bottom 9%
vs35 · Bottom 12%
Measured values
| Metric | Decatur | Rantoul | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 69,815 | 12,421 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $51,592 | $48,691 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,769 | $28,208 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,598/sq mi | 1,463/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $99,600 | $118,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $845 | $890 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.9% | 55.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.6% | 4.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.5% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.6% | 12.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.4% | 16.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 3 | 1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -25.0% | -80.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 16°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.4" | 40.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 39 mi | 42 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.2 min | 21.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.2 | 36.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 20 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.46 | 11.89 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 6.4% | 6.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 7.1% | 7.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 80.0% | 90.0% | 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
Decatur
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, tornado.
Rantoul
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, earthquake.
Full profiles: Decatur, IL · Rantoul, IL · How this is calculated: methodology