2025 Compare Cities Overview:
Brainerd, MN vs Champaign, IL

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Highlights
Are people in Champaign older or younger than people in Brainerd?
- The Median Age in Champaign is 9.1 years younger than in Brainerd.

Are housing costs cheaper in Champaign or Brainerd?
- Champaign housing costs are 28.7% less expensive than Brainerd housing costs.

Which city has a longer commute, Champaign or Brainerd?
- The average commute for residents of Champaign is 3.1 minutes shorter than it is for residents of Brainerd.

Things to do in Brainerd?
Brainerd, MN is an inviting small city west of Minneapolis full of amazing places to explore like Brainerd International Raceway displaying its unique environment or Northland Arboretum offering fun rides and tour opportunities; they organize vivid festivals like Brainerd Jaycees Street Fest every August.

Things to do in Champaign?
Champaign, Illinois is a thriving university town located approximately two hours south of Chicago. It has plenty of recreational facilities ranging from libraries to state parks offering access to Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve or Homer Lake.

 Brainerd, MNChampaign, ILUnited States
 Population  Unlock88,343329,725,481
 Median Income$41,671  Unlock$69,021
 Median Age  Unlock26.938.4
 Avg. Home Price$266,900  Unlock$338,100
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock4.9%6.0%
 Avg. Commute Time18.81  Unlock26.38
Reviews for Brainerd    5 Reviews

Research, research, research! Personal reviews don't give you the "whole" story! Whether the opinions are "glowing" or scathing do not base your opinion on them! Some  More

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No comment since you  More

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Over 14 years ago

Small town. Everyone knows everyone else's business. No work. Located in Crow Wing County and has highest unemployment rate in the state. Poor healthcare. Essentia  More

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Reviews for Champaign    13 Reviews

Over 6 years ago

Pros - close to Chicago, has Parkland community college and lots of places to eat. There is a train station downtown that is really good. Beautiful deciduous trees and  More

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Over 8 years ago

I wonderful city with great  More

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Actually it's barely a nice place to live. The pros: Not terribly expensive - at one point the least expensive place to live in the country among modest sized  More

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