Is Champaign cheaper than Iowa City?

They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Champaign and Iowa City metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.

Which has higher household income, Champaign or Iowa City?

Iowa City has the higher median household income — $75,225 versus $64,980 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 16% more.

Does a paycheck go further in Champaign or Iowa City?

A paycheck stretches further in Iowa City. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $82,205 there versus $70,094 in Champaign.

Which has cheaper rent, Champaign or Iowa City?

Rents are close — $1,103/mo in the Champaign metro versus $1,099/mo in Iowa City (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Champaign vs Iowa City

Metro-area medians — Champaign-Urbana, IL Metro Area vs Iowa City, IA Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Iowa City comes out ahead, winning 6 of the 7 clearly-decided measures.

Champaign and Iowa City cost about the same to live in, but Iowa City households earn about 16% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Iowa City.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Annual salary (gross)

Household size

Champaign, IL

$57,601

take-home / yr · 23% to tax

$62,134

real value after local prices

Iowa City, IA

$58,464

take-home / yr · 22% to tax

$63,888

real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Iowa City leaves you about $1,754/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure

Champaign

Iowa City

Livability (CityLedger)

56/100

70/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

92.7

91.5

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$70,094

$82,205

Median household income

$64,980

$75,225

Median rent

$1,103/mo

$1,099/mo

Median home value

$216,500

$315,200

Unemployment

2.9%

2.7%

Bachelor's degree or higher

44.8%

52%

Average commute

18.5 min

Air quality (median AQI)

Avg temperature

52°F

51°F

Choose Champaign for

+ Median home value

Full Champaign profile →

Choose Iowa City for

+ Livability (CityLedger)
+ Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
+ Median household income
+ Unemployment
+ Bachelor's degree or higher
+ Air quality (median AQI)

Full Iowa City profile →

Champaign vs Iowa City — frequently asked

Is Champaign cheaper than Iowa City?: They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Champaign and Iowa City metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Champaign or Iowa City?: Iowa City has the higher median household income — $75,225 versus $64,980 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 16% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Champaign or Iowa City?: A paycheck stretches further in Iowa City. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $82,205 there versus $70,094 in Champaign.
Which has cheaper rent, Champaign or Iowa City?: Rents are close — $1,103/mo in the Champaign metro versus $1,099/mo in Iowa City (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).