Quick Facts About Champaign, Illinois
A Big Ten college town just two hours from the big city, Champaign has a close-knit feel and some serious urban perks. The home of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), this city of 92,000 is the ninth largest in the state and the third largest outside the (ever-expanding) Chicago area.
Besides attending Fighting Illini games, there’s a lot to do in this east-central Illinois region, many thanks in large part to the U of I and Parkland College, which offer art galleries and museums, theater and musical performances, and even tranquil outdoor escapes. The robust park systems of these sister cities give you plenty of places to hike, bike and swim. Plus, summer movie screenings and annual festivals celebrate everything from Juneteenth to Christmas.
Champaign is less than three hours from both St. Louis and Indianapolis, so it’s easy to plan a weekend trip with the fam. Or you can disappear into nature at one of Illinois’ best retreats — Starved Rock State Park — where woodland trails and waterfalls are waiting to transport you away from the stress of the workweek.
U of I naturally draws many important researchers to the area, but the job market in Champaign isn’t purely academic. Kraft-Heinz, Caterpillar and Intel are just a few of the major corporations that make this Illinois region a place to grow your career. And housing is more affordable in Champaign-Urbana than in other cities closer to Chicago, so you may be able to get more for your money than in more crowded markets to the northeast.
If you are looking for a mid-size Midwestern city to put down roots that gives you easy access to big-city amenities, Champaign should be on your list. Learn more about the region below in our Moving Guide to Champaign, where we’ll address the climate, the neighborhood vibes, the job market and all the fun things to do in town.
What’s Life Like in Champaign?
Climate and Weather
With bracing winters and hot and humid summers, you can expect the best (and worst) of all four seasons in Champaign. January is the coldest month when lows fall into the teens and highs hover around the freezing point. Virtually every year, temperatures plummet into negative territory — January 2024 saw an icy low of -11 F, and snow is possible from late October through April — roughly 20 inches normally accumulate throughout the season.
Spring usually begins to awaken by mid-March, but this drowsy season doesn’t come into full bloom, really, until late April, when lows will be consistently above 40 degrees and highs will reach the low 60s F. Spring lingers longer here than it does in more southerly areas of the region, like Edwardsville and St. Louis, that sometimes feel as though they skip transitional seasons altogether. Tornados are an ever-increasing threat in the Midwest, but the city of Champaign has suffered little property damage over the last ten years because of them. Other nearby cities like Villa Grove, which was hit by an EF3 funnel cloud in 2013, haven’t been so lucky.
By June, Champaign residents will start to feel the heat, when highs hit the low 80s F. July and August will bring the steamiest weather, with the mercury often breaking the 90-degree mark. It’s been a minute since this central Illinois city has suffered triple-degree weather, but it’s hard to rule out the possibility that those days won’t return.
The fall is Champaign’s best season — perfect for apple-picking, leaf-peeping and hiking. Temperatures will cool down noticeably by mid-September, and the crisp autumn air will lure everyone outdoors before winter starts creeping in around Thanksgiving.
Cost of Living and Housing
Unlike real estate in and around Chicago, Champaign’s housing market is approachable, even for young families looking to buy their first house. The median home value in Champaign is $199,700 — $100,000 below the national average and less than half the price of homes in spendy Naperville, where averages now top half a million dollars. Nearby Urbana’s prices are even lower. Leasing is also a modest expense in this college town. The median gross rent is just over $1,100/month — offering considerable savings compared with Chicago’s $1,500 average.
But incomes are lower and poverty rates are higher in Champaign-Urbana than in any of these districts. The median household income in Champaign is only $57,544 — $20,000 below the national average — and that can make it difficult to afford even the basics. According to the MIT Living Wage Calculator, a two-parent household with one child needs an annual income of at least $75,812 to cover essential expenses. These include:
- Food: $9,673
- Childcare: $15,572
- Medical expenses: $8,224
- Housing: $13,014
- Transportation: $12,515
- Civic expenses: $6,077
- Internet/mobile services: $1,975
- Miscellaneous expenses: $8,763
- Taxes: $12,390
For those employed in management positions, this may prove to be an easier task, as those workers earn an average of $114,860/year. But community and social service workers earn roughly $76,000, and healthcare support workers barely earn $40,000/year, making it harder to clear financial hurdles.
Popular Neighborhoods
While Champaign isn’t a big place to live, there is still a good range of neighborhoods to choose from if you’re thinking of moving here. Downtown Champaign is highly walkable, with fun shopping, people-watching and great food. Take a stroll through the sculpture-filled pathways of West Side Park and then stop for a bite at one of downtown’s popular eateries. The Black Dog Smoke & Ale House has everything from tender brisket to smoked jackfruit, so even vegans will find this menu friendly. Other favorites include Tenkyu, The Himalayan Chimney and The Literary bookbar.
Sandwiched between Downtown Champaign and Urbana is Campustown, an eight-block district packed with UIUC students, where you’ll find all the college essentials — fast food from Raising Cane’s and Jimmy John’s, all-night deliveries from Insomnia cookies, and genuinely good caffeine fixes from BrewLab Coffee. Student housing dominates this district, and so the over-30 crowd really sticks out.
Those looking for single-family living with a historic vibe should check out the Clark Park/Old Town neighborhood, which is just a couple miles west of downtown. The Champaign Country Club is the center of recreation for many families in this elegant area, which exudes turn-of-the-last-century charm. You’ll find more new construction in the city of Savoy, just south of Champaign. Homes and lots are more spacious in this district that’s adjacent to Willard Airport, but the amenities aren’t as interesting as those closer to town — a trade-off some families are willing to make.
Job and Economy
Champaign’s job market is — no surprise — dominated by the U of I, which employs upwards of 14,000 individuals in the area. But the university isn’t the only significant employer in this city’s diverse job market. International corporations like Wolfram Research are headquartered in Champaign, and 21 Fortune 500 companies have a presence in C-U, too, many of them located within the UIUC Research Park. Over 120 companies — including 350 start-ups — operate from this industry hub, including Yahoo/Verizon, ADM, Cargill, Abbott Laboratories, Kohler and Motorola. The University of Illinois’ National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) has made the city a hub for data science and interdisciplinary digital scholarship.
Nearly 125,000 individuals comprise the Champaign-Urbana workforce, and the unemployment rate — already below the national average — has been on a downward trend since the start of 2025. In April, it stood at just 2.8%. The government is far and away the single biggest sector in the region, providing more than 46,000 jobs. This makes education and health services a distant second, despite the presence of UIUC, Parkland College, Carle Health, and the OSF Heart of Mary Medical Center. Trade, transportation and utilities, the third-largest industry, supports nearly 17,000 jobs, and leisure and hospitality supports 12,000. Manufacturing and Professional & Business Services supply an almost equal amount — around 8,000 jobs apiece.
Education and Schools
Educational rates are exceptionally high in this college town. Champaign residents have achieved a 95% high school graduation rate, and 54% have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher. Having immediate access to Parkland College and the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign — ranked #9 in Top Public Schools and #33 in National Universities by the U.S. News & World Report — makes it easier for residents to earn their degrees locally. There are dozens of well-respected schools within driving distance, as well, from the University of Chicago, Northwestern and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, to Indiana University and Washington University in St. Louis.
Younger students within the city of Champaign attend public schools in the Unit 4 School District, which includes high schools like Central High and Centennial High, but there are also private schools like Academy High that specialize in college prep.
Things You Can Only Experience in Champaign
U of I has many great cultural spots, like the Spurlock Museum of World Cultures and the Krannert Art Museum. At the U of I’s Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, you can see a jazz vocal ensemble, a performance of La Bohème or Oklahoma! or contemporary works like Fire Shut Up in My Bones, a Grammy-award-winning musical production based on New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow’s memoir. Dance, circus, student plays and experimental theater are all part of Krannert’s annual lineup.
One of our favorite quiet spots at the U of I is the Japan House, with its tranquil tea garden, dry garden and cherry-tree-lined walkways. Visitors can even sign up for a traditional Japanese tea ceremony in the Tea House, where you’ll sip matcha and sample beautiful wagashi — delicate sweets often made with azuki bean paste, rice flour, and agar. The U of I arboretum is beautiful even in the winter when the hundred acres of old-growth trees show off their stately silhouettes enrobed in snow, so be sure to stroll the campus even when it means bundling up.
Outdoor enthusiasts will also adore the Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve — just twenty minutes northwest of the city in Mahomet — where you can go hiking, sailing and even play a round of golf. Within Champaign, there are more than 60 parks to explore, from Porter Park, which has a soothing pond and restored prairie area, to Prairie Farm, popular for its petting zoo, where you can meet miniature horses, baby goats and everyone’s favorite — alpacas. When the heat rolls in for the summer, everyone can cool off at the Sholem Aquatic Center, which has slides and a lazy river. Just next door in Urbana, Crystal Lake Park and Meadowbrook offer even more amenities, like a labyrinth and a sculpture garden. You can explore more of the area’s natural wonders on two wheels on the Kickapoo Rail Trail, which travels almost 25 miles throughout the county.
Aspirational newcomers can gaze into the future at Parkland College’s planetarium or look back at the past at the Champaign County History Museum at the Historic Cattle Bank. Now in its 50th year, this site brings the story of Champaign County to life through exhibits on WWI training at Chanute Field, a former Air Force Base, as well as the now-defunct Illinois Traction System, a once sophisticated, interurban network of electric trains. The museum’s archive contains more than 20,000 historic objects, from local photographs to oddities like a wooden golf ball.
Tips for Moving to Champaign, Illinois
Research Moving Companies
If you’re thinking of moving to Champaign, the time to start researching moving companies is now. By working with United Van Lines — America’s #1 Mover® — you can help take the stress out of your upcoming move.
Get a moving quote right now for Champaign, IL.
Moving cross-country to Champaign, Illinois? Our full-service moving packages can streamline the moving process and include the following:
- A personal moving coordinator for your entire move
- Loading/unloading and transporting of your household belongings
- Standard furniture placement
- Standard transport of appliances (service disconnect/connect not included)
- Full-value protection (unless waived)
Need a little extra help? We can also add these customized moving services:
- Packing and unpacking
- Storage
- Removal of moving debris
- Shipping your car
Moving locally? If you’re searching for a local mover in Illinois, our interstate Champaign-Urbana agents/movers can provide local moving services in the greater C-U area independently under their own businesses and brands.
Have a Moving Checklist
United Van Lines can help you stay organized during your move. Use this week-by-week moving checklist to set goals, keep track of appointments, and acquire the supplies you need to ensure your move goes smoothly.
Enjoy the Process
The prospect of moving may sound daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. United is committed to making your relocation a positive experience for the whole family. On our moving blog, you can find ways to keep stress at bay while you move and set aside time for fun, even taking a vacation during your move.
If you’re still on the fence about whether to hire movers or move yourself, we’ll break down the pros and cons for you. You’ll find our latest moving tips in House Key magazine, and we’ll share even more moving advice in our guides to 50+ cities and states.
With more than 90 years of experience, United Van Lines has earned the distinction of being America’s #1 Mover. Join millions of families who have chosen United for their moves.
Other Moving Resources
- Loading...