Rents are 5% above what Champaign's 10-year trend predicts — running hotter than its own history.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,466 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
January. Asking rents in Champaign usually run 0.4% below trend in January and 0.5% above it in June, about $13 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Champaign is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Champaign changed +4.9% over the year to September 2026. Across the 94 Illinois cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +4.0%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Champaign rose 32.9% while median household income rose 15.9% ($48,415 to $56,118). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Champaign is 46.3% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 11 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($56,118) is $1,403 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($1,233); a 3-bedroom is $1,607.
The priciest of 3 ZIP codes in Champaign, 61822 ($1,822/mo), costs 44% more than the cheapest, 61820 ($1,264/mo).
Rantoul, 15 miles away, rents for 37% less ($921/mo), about $6,500 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Champaign. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Champaign, IL is majority renter-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income below the national average, 52.7% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Champaign, IL has changed in 5 years
Rent in Champaign, IL has climbed 40.7% since 2021, going from about $1,042 per month to roughly $1,466 today. Local incomes tracked alongside that move, going from a median of $52,687 in 2021 to $56,118 more recently. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 34.2 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 88,343 to 89,996 between 2021 and 2024, a 1.9% change. These shifts give renters and would-be renters a longer baseline for sizing up today's listings against the Champaign, IL market of 2021.
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Can you afford rent in Champaign on your salary?
At $1,466/mo, how Champaign rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Champaign rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Champaign. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Champaign
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Champaign is $1,466/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,033/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,233/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,040/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,607/mo.
At 31% of local median household income ($56,118/yr), Champaign ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 4.9% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Champaign?
At $1,466/mo, rent takes ~31% of Champaign's median household income ($56,118/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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