2025 Compare Cities Overview:
Santa Barbara, CA vs Champaign, IL

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Highlights
Are people in Champaign older or younger than people in Santa Barbara?
- The Median Age in Champaign is 12.2 years younger than in Santa Barbara.

Are housing costs cheaper in Champaign or Santa Barbara?
- Champaign housing costs are 87.5% less expensive than Santa Barbara housing costs.

Which city has a longer commute, Champaign or Santa Barbara?
- The average commute for residents of Champaign is 1.5 minutes shorter than it is for residents of Santa Barbara.

Things to do in Santa Barbara?
Santa Barbara, California has something for everyone - from fantastic beaches to world-class shopping and dining experiences. Visitors can explore Old Mission Santa Barbara or take part in various water activities around Stearns Wharf.

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.

 Santa Barbara, CAChampaign, ILUnited States
 Population  Unlock88,343329,725,481
 Median Income$89,243  Unlock$69,021
 Median Age  Unlock26.938.4
 Avg. Home Price$1,525,500  Unlock$338,100
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock4.9%6.0%
 Avg. Commute Time17.15  Unlock26.38
Reviews for Santa Barbara    51 Reviews

I moved to Santa Barbara around 23 years ago to study at Brooks, which like most of the Santa Barbara that I knew—has been destroyed. Homelessness, drugs, gangs, high  More

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Over 4 years ago

I fell in love with Santa Barbara about thirty years ago and finally moved here a few years ago. Because of the price of homes, it is an expensive place to live. The  More

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If you like high crime, paying a $4,500 a month mortgage and crazy high taxes, this is the place for you. It’s too bad because it wasn’t always like this. When I moved  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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