Champaign County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Champaign County, IL Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A
Health Above averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in Illinois
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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 74% of counties in Illinois
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A
Education Above averageAmong the top 3 best educated counties in Illinois
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Champaign County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 208,737 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 209.2 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.14% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 31.3 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 85,470 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Champaign County grew by 8.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 208,737 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Champaign County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 34.8% of residents. That is 13.5 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 72,635 34.8% +13.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 40,755 19.5% -2.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 33,071 15.8% -4.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 27,786 13.3% -3.6 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Illinois, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.2% of the people living in Champaign County and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 49.8% Illinois 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Champaign County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Champaign County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Champaign County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,164 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.44% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Champaign County is about 24% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Champaign County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $86,997 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,051 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 54.0% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Champaign County is about 6.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,051 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Champaign County spend about 32 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 131 hours, about 5.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Champaign County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.8 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.5 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 131 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,073 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 15.5% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,792 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 926 | 1,547 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Illinois:
Edgar County (12.0 min), Brown County (12.7 min), Morgan County (13.1 min).
Slowest:
Calhoun County (43.8 min), Pulaski County (31.2 min), Pope County (31.0 min).
The average commute time in Champaign County is 16 minutes, shorter than the 24 minutes in Illinois.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Champaign County has a education index of A, which means it is very educated.
| Metric | Champaign County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.2% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.27 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Illinois:
DuPage County (0.4), Champaign County (0.4), Lake County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hardin County (0.2), Fayette County (0.2), Perry County (0.2).
Health
Champaign County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Champaign County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.0 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.7% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.4% | 19.2% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Illinois:
DuPage County (0.8), Champaign County (0.8), Monroe County (0.8).
Lowest:
Alexander County (0.8), Pulaski County (0.8), Gallatin County (0.8).
Champaign County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
How Champaign County, IL compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champaign County, IL | 208,737 | $64,164 #1/3 | $86,997 #2/3 | 15.8 min #2/3 |
| Vermilion County, IL | 72,384 | $57,282 | $82,480 | 16.6 min |
| Coles County, IL | 46,775 | $56,802 | $754,281 | 13.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Champaign County, Illinois.
What is the population of Champaign County, Illinois?
About 208,737 people live in Champaign County, Illinois, in 85,470 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 31.3, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Champaign County, Illinois mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Champaign County, Illinois has 209 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.4 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Champaign County, Illinois?
The median home costs 1.4 times the median household income ($86,997 against $64,164), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,051 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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