City comparison
Austin, TX is about 850 miles (1,400 km) from Champaign, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 1,100 miles, or about 18 hours behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Austin, TX to Champaign, IL takes about 1 h 44 min, covering roughly 850 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Austin has a population of 958,202, vs 88,628 in Champaign — about 10.8× larger by population. By land area, Austin covers about 325 sq mi vs 23 sq mi for Champaign.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Austin | Champaign | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,056/mo | 46.7% higher in Austin |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $191,200 | 141.4% higher in Austin |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $58,273 | 48.5% higher in Austin |
| Groceries index | 94.2 | 93.9 | ≈ equal (Austin slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 83.2 | 90.6 | 8.9% higher in Champaign |
| Transportation index | 96.6 | 99.3 | 2.8% higher in Champaign |
| Healthcare index | 96.1 | 99.5 | 3.6% higher in Champaign |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Austin, you'd need $82,212 in Champaign to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Champaign, IL is about 17.8% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 66% higher in Austin than in Champaign. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $65,769 in Champaign to keep the same standard of living.