Champaign receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Rantoul
Champaign
Opportunity
37 · Bottom 14%
vs49 · Bottom 34%
Growth
18 · Bottom 6%
vs80 · Top 5%
Climate
60 · Bottom 14%
vs65 · Bottom 36%
Physical resilience
68 · Top 39%
vs68 · Top 39%
Housing affordability
91 · Top 29%
vs78 · Bottom 45%
Schools
19 · Bottom 10%
vs43 · Bottom 39%
Access
79 · Bottom 21%
vs78 · Bottom 20%
Economic stability
35 · Bottom 12%
vs34 · Bottom 11%
Measured values
| Metric | Rantoul | Champaign | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,421 | 89,996 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $48,691 | $56,118 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,208 | $36,223 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,463/sq mi | 3,908/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $118,200 | $210,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $890 | $1,123 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 55.0% | 43.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.4% | 52.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.9% | 25.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1 | 1,811 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 20.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -80.0% | 283.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 16°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.4" | 37.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 42 mi | 42 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.4 min | 16.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.6 | 26.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 22 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.89 | 14.24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 6.1% | 19.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 7.9% | 21.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 90.0% | 54.5% | 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
Rantoul
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, earthquake.
Champaign
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, earthquake.
Full profiles: Rantoul, IL · Champaign, IL · How this is calculated: methodology