Metro Life Score
Champaign-Urbana, IL
Above-median composite Life Score — grade B+, 72nd percentile of the national corpus.
- 55.0
- Life Score / 100
- B+
- Grade (curved)
- #110
- of 387 metros
- 72%
- composite percentile
Data updated August 2026
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The verdict
Champaign-Urbana is above-median composite Life Score — #110 of 387 (55.0/100, grade B+, 72nd percentile). Carried by rent at 77/100; held back most by schools at 27/100.
- 72nd
- composite percentile
- #110
- of 387 peers
- 57th
- cost dimension percentile
- 65th
- wages dimension percentile
Life Score shape · UPPER · BALANCED · signature composite
Champaign-Urbana: top-third composite Life Score
Champaign-Urbana clears the top third of US metros on composite Life Score (#110 of 387, 55.0/100, grade B+, 71st percentile). Stamps UPPER · BALANCED; cost MID (57th) · wages HIGH (65th). Rent at 77/100 carries the lead; Schools (27/100) is the residual gap. According to PlainCompare's federal Life Score corpus ranking, Champaign-Urbana, IL ranks #110 of 387 metros by composite Life Score (highest = #1) and #167 of 387 by cost-of-living dimension score (highest = #1). Methodology.
BEA RPP 92.7 (rent-RPP 71.6). BLS median salary $66,936, 94,460 jobs (Registered Nurses, Fast Food and Counter Workers, Cashiers). HUD 2BR FMR $1,122/mo (studio $941).
FBI UCR (IL): 277 violent, 1665 property/100K. NCES: 13.4:1 ratio, 3.5% charter. DOL infant childcare $12,257/yr. EPA: 56 Superfund sites (IL).
Where Champaign-Urbana sits among all US metros
Composite Life Score vs the national field
55 72nd percentile higher than 72% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainCompare composite of BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, EPA data · August 2026
How the 55.0 is built
Champaign-Urbana's Life Score, decomposed
Dimension detail
How Champaign-Urbana scores, dimension by dimension
Score Breakdown
Dimension Scores
Key Data Points
Geography used: crime, schools, childcare, and environment cards above are IL state-level when metro-specific feeds are unavailable, see the scope key at the top of this page.
Compare Champaign-Urbana With...
Ranking Context
Champaign-Urbana outranks 72% of U.S. metros.
| Rank | Metro | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| #107 | Roanoke, VA | 55.2 | B+ |
| #108 | Manhattan, KS | 55.2 | B+ |
| #109 | Laredo, TX | 55.2 | B+ |
| #110 | Champaign-Urbana, IL | 55.0 | B+ |
| #111 | Midland, MI | 55.0 | B+ |
| #112 | Cheyenne, WY | 54.9 | B+ |
| #113 | Springfield, IL | 54.9 | B+ |
Quality vs. Affordability
Champaign-Urbana, IL's quality rank (top 28% highest-quality) and affordability rank (top 43% most affordable) sit close together -- an unusually proportionate metro where overall quality and cost-of-living move together.
IL Metro Scores
Read with Champaign-Urbana
Nearest composite peers and cost poles for Champaign-Urbana (UPPER · BALANCED · MID/HIGH), replacing the fixed Explore/Guides strip.
Midland, MI
ABS(composite) peer at 55.0 (Δ 0.0 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B+ vs this page's UPPER · BALANCED · MID/HIGH.
Cheyenne, WY
ABS(composite) peer at 54.9 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); lower Life Score · grade B+ vs this page's UPPER · BALANCED · MID/HIGH.
Springfield, IL
ABS(composite) peer at 54.9 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); lower Life Score · grade B+ vs this page's UPPER · BALANCED · MID/HIGH.
Laredo, TX
ABS(composite) peer at 55.2 (Δ 0.2 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B+ vs this page's UPPER · BALANCED · MID/HIGH.
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 57/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp MID vs this metro's MID.
Yuma, AZ (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 57/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp MID vs this metro's MID.
Champaign-Urbana, IL relocation guide
Stamp-branched guide for UPPER · BALANCED · MID/HIGH - how to read federal Life Score inputs before a move.
Using Champaign-Urbana's top-third Life Score
Champaign-Urbana scores 55.0/100 overall, but Rent (76.9) and Schools (27.2) sit 49.7 points apart, so decide which of the two matters more to you before leaning on the total.
- Rent is the strongest of Champaign-Urbana's seven dimensions (weighted 15% in the composite); if it is your priority, this is where the metro earns its rank. See all seven dimensions
- Schools is the weakest (weighted 10% in the composite); if it is a dealbreaker, weigh it before the ranking does. Rank metros on the composite
- Decatur is the nearest comparison this page can offer; put the two side by side on the same seven dimensions. Compare with Decatur
A high composite is a weighted blend; it does not mean every dimension is strong.