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

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Highlights
Are people in Champaign older or younger than people in Normal?
- The Median Age in Champaign is 1.8 years older than in Normal.

Are housing costs cheaper in Champaign or Normal?
- Champaign housing costs are 9.2% less expensive than Normal housing costs.

Which city has a longer commute, Champaign or Normal?
- The average commute for residents of Champaign is 2.1 minutes shorter than it is for residents of Normal.

Things to do in Normal?
Normal, Illinois is a vibrant city located in McLean County, just north of Bloomington-Normal. It is home to Illinois State University and has a bustling downtown area with numerous shops, restaurants, and businesses. Normal is a major hub in the region for healthcare, finance and education opportunities. There are abundant recreational options including natural areas, parks and trails that offer plenty of outdoor activities. A variety of cultural amenities are also available such as theater performances, festivals, art galleries and other entertainment venues that give residents something to do in their spare time. Normal is truly a wonderful place where people can come together to work, play, learn and live!

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.

 Normal, ILChampaign, ILUnited States
 Population  Unlock88,343329,725,481
 Median Income$58,564  Unlock$69,021
 Median Age  Unlock26.938.4
 Avg. Home Price$209,800  Unlock$338,100
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock4.9%6.0%
 Avg. Commute Time17.8  Unlock26.38
Reviews for Normal    5 Reviews

While not a perfect town by any stretch of the imagination, I have lived in Normal my entire life and I have to say that there are FAR worse places one could live. The  More

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Over 16 years ago

I would like to know more about the quality of education at Illinois State  More

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With relatively low crime, good schools and excellent access to higher education, Normal is a great place to raise a family. The city is trying to update its city center  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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