Urbana and Rantoul receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Urbana
Rantoul
Opportunity
40 · Bottom 17%
vs37 · Bottom 14%
Growth
34 · Bottom 23%
vs18 · Bottom 6%
Climate
65 · Bottom 36%
vs60 · Bottom 14%
Physical resilience
68 · Top 39%
vs68 · Top 39%
Housing affordability
70 · Bottom 34%
vs91 · Top 29%
Schools
21 · Bottom 12%
vs19 · Bottom 10%
Access
76 · Bottom 17%
vs79 · Bottom 21%
Economic stability
30 · Bottom 7%
vs35 · Bottom 12%
Measured values
| Metric | Urbana | Rantoul | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,341 | 12,421 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $45,346 | $48,691 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,592 | $28,208 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,322/sq mi | 1,463/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $184,900 | $118,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $972 | $890 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 37.3% | 55.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 4.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 56.7% | 12.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 28.0% | 16.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 41 | 1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -32.8% | -80.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 16°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.0" | 40.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 46 mi | 42 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 15.9 min | 21.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 26.1 | 36.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.10 | 11.89 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 8.0% | 6.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 9.9% | 7.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 72.3% | 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
Urbana
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, earthquake.
Rantoul
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, earthquake.
Full profiles: Urbana, IL · Rantoul, IL · How this is calculated: methodology