News Room
RPC Analyzes Survey Data Showing Champaign County with the Second-Largest Population Growth Among the 102 Counties in Illinois
From Champaign County RPC:
Champaign County was one of only nine counties among the 102 counties in the state of Illinois to see an increase in population between 2010 and 2019, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. The population data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2015-2019 American Community Survey (ACS) five-year estimates, which were released in December 2020. The estimates are not based on the results of the 2020 Census, which are not yet available.
The RPC has analyzed recent ACS estimates to provide a look at how the population of Champaign County is changing. The following trends compare five-year estimates from 2010-14 and 2015-19:
- Champaign County’s population is now 209,922, an increase of almost 3% since the 2010-14 ACS. Kendall County in northeast Illinois was the only county in Illinois to see a higher rate of population gain during the same period.
- The median family income in Champaign County increased by 17%, from $70,155 to $82,423. The national median family income increased by a similar amount of 18% during this time, but Champaign County’s median family income is higher than the national figure of $77,263. Additionally, the population below the poverty level in Champaign County fell from 23% to 20%. This 3% drop is greater than the 2% decrease nationally.
- The mean travel time to work in Champaign County was unchanged at 17.7 minutes, remaining lower than nearby counties.
- The percentage of Champaign County residents who use active modes of transportation to get to work is significantly higher than nearby counties. In Champaign County, 8% of residents walk to work, 5.7% use public transportation, and 2.3% bike.
Data from the U.S. Census Bureau, as well as from other national, state, and local resources, is available on the Champaign County Regional Data Portal.