Champaign-Urbana, IL
The numbers that matter most
What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.
moderate
Price to income
3.01×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs Illinois
- 2.49×
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×-0.42
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
comfortable
Rent to income
20.9%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs Illinois
- 20.6%
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%-2.4
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
deal-by-deal
Cap rate proxy
4.50%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs Illinois
- 5.30%
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%+0.15
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
shrinking
Net migration
-0.59%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs Illinois
- -0.07%
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
normal
Permit pipeline
3.67
permits per 1,000 residents
Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.
- vs Illinois
- 1.23+2.44
- vs U.S.
- 3.53+0.14
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
softening
Unemployment
4.8%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs Illinois
- 5.6%-0.8
- vs U.S.
- 4.5%
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
balanced buyer mix
Investor loan share
13.8%
2,362 purchase loans · 16.3% denial rate · 2024
Share of financed home purchases going to investors. Above ~15% means landlords are outbidding owner-occupants; below ~8% is owner-dominated.
Benchmark
Investor purchase loans ÷ all purchase loans (CFPB HMDA LAR, annual)
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+51.1%
homeValues.yearOverYear
+4.4%
Median home value
$194,400
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $946 | $11,352 | 17.6% |
| 2 BR | $1,122 | $13,464 | 20.9% |
| 3 BR | $1,436 | $17,232 | 26.7% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
4.8%
Median household income
$64,558
What's being built
Total TTM
867
+55.5% YoY
Single-family
290
2–4 unit
4
5+ unit
573
All 3 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champaign County | 206,525 | $205,100 | $63,091 | 819 | +56.3% |
| Piatt County | 16,698 | $173,200 | $87,516 | 38 | +46.1% |
| Ford County | 13,484 | $118,100 | $60,782 | 10 | +25.0% |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Champaign | 223,223 | $64,558 | 3.01× | 4.50% | +51.1% | 3.67 | 4.8% |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | 216,194 | $62,897 | — | — | +68.9% | — | 3.0% |
| Lake Charles, LA | 216,217 | $67,010 | — | — | +14.4% | — | 4.2% |
| Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | 237,830 | $66,106 | — | — | +56.2% | — | 3.8% |
| Topeka, KS | 232,995 | $68,160 | — | — | +51.1% | — | 3.6% |
| Chico, CA | 213,605 | $68,574 | — | — | +21.4% | — | 5.8% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
-1,384
-0.59% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Cook County, IL | 563 |
| Champaign County, IL | 286 |
| Vermilion County, IL | 243 |
| McLean County, IL | 180 |
| Douglas County, IL | 146 |
| Macon County, IL | 140 |
Who lives in Champaign
- Median age
- 32
- Bachelor's+
- 43.5%
- Owner-occupancy
- 56.9%
- Vacancy rate
- 10.8%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 46.3%
- Median household income
- $64,558
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.
Data sources
| Metric | Source | Vintage |
|---|---|---|
| rent vs buy | HUD FMR + Census ACS + FRED MORTGAGE30US | current FY |