2025 Compare Cities Rankings:
Gainesville, FL vs Decatur, IL

#15 Most Competitive Public Colleges

#44 Best Green Cities

#56 2005 Best Places to Live

#88 America's Best and Worst Cities for Crime (Mid-Size Metro Areas)

#22 America's Most (and Least) Stressful Cities (117 Smallest Metro Areas)

#59 America's Best and Worst Cities for Crime (Smallest Metro Areas)

#104 2005 Best Places to Live

#301 Best Green Cities

I've lived here most of my life. It's changed a lot, and a lot of the locals don't like it. Because it's home to one of the largest universities in the country, we see a  More

Lovely diverse city! People is nice and there is always something to do. Outdoors activities are awesome! The springs are beautiful and there are plenty of hiking  More

Gainesville has the highest taxes and electrical rates in the state. The city is run by a bunch of liberals who have no idea what they are doing. Crime and homelessness  More

I was sent here by the company I worked for in the '90's and was not initially impressed with midwest living. However, over the years I got used to living in the "Pride  More

I grew up in Decatur and I still have family there, but it depresses me to see what it has become. It has a high unemployment rate, many business have closed or are run  More

If you enjoy drinking & driving, Decatur's fifteen drive-thru liquor windows, three times the # of drive-thru's than the ten largest cities in Illinois, COMBINED, will  More