2025 Compare Cities Overview:
Champaign, IL vs Columbia, IL

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Highlights
Are people in Columbia older or younger than people in Champaign?
- The Median Age in Columbia is 12.4 years older than in Champaign.

Are housing costs cheaper in Columbia or Champaign?
- Columbia housing costs are 40.5% more expensive than Champaign housing costs.

Which city has a longer commute, Columbia or Champaign?
- The average commute for residents of Columbia is 9.7 minutes longer than it is for residents of Champaign.

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.

Things to do in Columbia?
Columbia, IL sits in Monroe County with a population close to 9,500 people. Here you can visit unique attractions such as Fort de Chartres State Historic Site boasting scenic vistas along the Mississippi River or go on leisurely strolls through LaRue Swamp Conservancy lined with various gardens & wetlands suitable for all ages!

 Champaign, ILColumbia, ILUnited States
 Population  Unlock11,090329,725,481
 Median Income$52,687  Unlock$69,021
 Median Age  Unlock39.338.4
 Avg. Home Price$190,400  Unlock$338,100
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock3.3%6.0%
 Avg. Commute Time15.68  Unlock26.38
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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Reviews for Columbia    3 Reviews

Over 16 years ago

I actually live in the next town over, but work full-time in Columbia, and it's a really nice town. It is the walking-est city I have ever seen; people enjoy riding  More

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Over 17 years ago

Columbia,Illinois has to be the most stuck up and unfriendly little one horse town i've ever lived in . People here feel that if you weren't born and raised here  More

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Over 17 years ago

Columbia, Illinois is located at the northern tip of Monroe County in Southwestern Illinois only about 12 miles from downtown St. Louis. 20 miles from Scott Air Force  More

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