Should I Move To
Decatur, Illinois is a population of 70,975 . Cost of living is very affordable — 20% below the national average, with median rent around $770/month and median household income of $49,039. Overall it earns an UrbRank Score of 45/100 (grade D), ranking #666 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Decatur's composite cost-of-living index sits at 80 (US average = 100), placing it in the very affordable tier. At $770/month median rent against $49,039 median household income, residents spend about 19% of household income on rent — well within the 30% rule of thumb. Median home value is $96,800.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Decatur has a cold-winter climate — summer highs average 82°F and winter lows average 22°F, with 38 inches of precipitation annually. Car-dependent for most errands, with pockets of walkability downtown. Crime data isn't available for this city. Air quality is good (AQI 44).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Decatur is a less obvious fit for families. It earns a Score of 52/100 (grade C-) on the families profile. Especially strong on affordability (98/100), weakest on job market (4/100).
Decatur is a moderate fit for retirees. It earns a Score of 58/100 (grade C) on the retirees profile. Especially strong on affordability (98/100), weakest on job market (4/100).
Decatur is a moderate fit for remote workers. It earns a Score of 64/100 (grade C+) on the remote workers profile. Especially strong on affordability (98/100), weakest on job market (4/100).
Decatur is a less obvious fit for young professionals. It earns a Score of 41/100 (grade D) on the young professionals profile. Especially strong on affordability (98/100), weakest on job market (4/100).
Decatur, Illinois has an overall UrbRank Score of 45/100 (grade D), ranked #666 nationally. The score is a weighted average across affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Decatur's cost-of-living index is 80 (US average = 100), so it's very affordable — 20% below the national average. Median rent is $770/month.
Decatur has a cold-winter climate. Summer highs average 82°F and winter lows average 22°F, with 38 inches of annual precipitation.
Decatur has a Walk Score of 48/100. Car-dependent for most errands, with pockets of walkability downtown.
Decatur has a population of 70,975, with 21% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher and a median age of 40.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Decatur side-by-side with any other US city — housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality of life metrics displayed together. The leaderboard pages also show how Decatur ranks for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Decatur with other Illinois cities scored on UrbRank.
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