City profile · Illinois · Census ACS 2023

Urbana, IL

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Urbana - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

38,447
Residents
$45,854
Median income
$186,300
Median home
$1,122
Median rent (state)

Urbana - the verdict

Nationally, Urbana sits in the 14th percentile for household income and the 15th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

14th
percentile, household income
39th
percentile, home value
30th
percentile, median rent
15th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Urbana, IL

Urbana is a small city in Illinois, home to 38,447 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Urbana households earn a median of $45,854 annually, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 11.1%. Home values in Urbana run a median of $186,300, and the median resident age is 26.7 years. Educational attainment runs 58.4% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 55.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 55 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 90% from five years earlier. Urbana's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 3036.3 crimes per 100,000 residents, above the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).

Illinois tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Illinois at 100.0 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,122 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Illinois run around $240, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Urbana report an average commute of 12.2 minutes, with 51.8% driving alone and 14.6% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 90.5 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

38,447 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Illinois

Median Household Income

$45,854 /yr

Poverty 11.1%

Cost of Living Index (state)

100.0 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Illinois average

How does Urbana compare to other US cities?

Urbana measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 14% higher than other cities
Home value 39% pricier than other cities
Median rent 30% pricier than other cities
Safety 15% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Illinois alone, Urbana ranks #413 of 455 Illinois cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Urbana's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Illinois, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

14thIncome percentile
15thSafety percentile

14th percentile nationally for median household income · 15th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Urbana's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Urbana's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 32 Avg. percentile National median
Urbana's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Urbana's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$186,300 Among the most affordable more affordable than 61% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Urbana $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Urbana, IL Urbana, IL's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Urbana, IL-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Urbana, IL median $45,854/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Urbana, IL's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Urbana, IL. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 58.4%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 11.1%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 55.2%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
38,447
Median Income
$45,854
Median Home Value
$186,300
Median Age
26.7
Poverty Rate
11.1%
Labor force participation
55.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
58.4%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
3036.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
544.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2491.9
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
10
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
38,500 residents39,000 residents39,500 residents40,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 38,862 residents 39,719 residents ▲ +2.2%
Urbana's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
55
housing units authorized
Single-Family
51
detached homes
Multifamily
4
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.4
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 29
2020 422
2021 58
2022 114
2023 83
2024 55

Permit volume increased 90% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
12.2 minutes
Drive Alone
51.8%
Carpool
6.9%
Public Transit
7.1%
Walk
14.7%
Work from Home
14.6%
Other
4.9%

Based on 18,733 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Illinois - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$100
avg/month
Natural Gas
$90
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$50
avg/month
Total Utilities
$240
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Illinois state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Illinois state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Urbana sits in

Cost of Living Index
100.0
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,122/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
90.5 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Illinois

Wheeling
38,495 people
Streamwood
39,055 people
Quincy
39,188 people
Park Ridge
39,241 people
Carpentersville
37,544 people
Carol Stream
39,427 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Urbana's 38,447 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Winter Springs, FL
38,448 people
Mechanicsville, VA
38,437 people
Calexico, CA
38,476 people
Phenix City, AL
38,477 people
Atlantic City, NJ
38,486 people
Westerville, OH
38,543 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Urbana's $45,854 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

London, KY
$45,850 median income
Amite City, LA
$45,850 median income
Wadena, MN
$45,850 median income
Valdosta, GA
$45,849 median income
Floydada, TX
$45,848 median income
Syracuse, NY
$45,845 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Urbana, IL Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Urbana, IL - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 59.3% 16.9% 14.5% 7.8% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 9.3% White 59.3% Black or African American 16.9% Asian 14.5% American Indian 0.1% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 1.4% Two or more races 7.8% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Urbana compares to nearby Illinois cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Urbana (this city) 38,447 $45,854
Wheeling 38,495 $83,251
Streamwood 39,055 $101,049
Quincy 39,188 $56,372
Census ACS 5-year FIPS IL FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Urbana, IL?

What is the population of Urbana, IL? +

Urbana, IL has a population of 38,447 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Urbana, IL? +

Median annual household income in Urbana runs $45,854, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Urbana? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Urbana; the closest available measure is the Illinois state average, a cost of living index of 100.0 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Illinois vary by metro area.

Is Urbana, IL safe? +

Urbana has a total crime rate of 3036.3 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Urbana, IL? +

The median home value in Urbana is $186,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.