Fayetteville Champaign-Urbana

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Strongly Favorable
Cost Index: 92.0 → 92.7
Rent Delta: -$129/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $129/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + $4K higher median salary
  • + Lower violent crime rate
  • + Better student-teacher ratios

Cons of Moving

  • - More expensive childcare

Moving from Fayetteville to Champaign-Urbana shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 92.0 to 92.7 (100 = US average), so a Fayetteville salary needs to be multiplied by 1.01 to hold the same purchasing power in Champaign-Urbana. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,251/month in Fayetteville to $1,122/month in Champaign-Urbana - a lower monthly bill of $129, or $1,548/year. That rent delta alone is often the single biggest line item when relocating.

Wages tell the other half. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report a median salary of $62,837 in Fayetteville versus $66,936 in Champaign-Urbana - a raw gap of $4,099 higher. The Champaign-Urbana labor market has 94,460 tracked jobs against 121,490 in Fayetteville, shaping how easy it is to find a comparable role. Combine that with the cost-of-living shift above and you get the real purchasing-power delta, sometimes a "higher salary" is actually a pay cut once rent and RPP are applied.

Safety, schools, and childcare round out the move. FBI UCR violent crime rates near Fayetteville and Champaign-Urbana are 365 and 277 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 15.8:1 at origin versus 14:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $9,487/year in Fayetteville versus $12,257/year in Champaign-Urbana. Our composite verdict - Strongly Favorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Fayetteville
Champaign-Urbana
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 92.0
RPP 92.7
Fayetteville
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,251/mo
$1,122/mo
Champaign-Urbana
💼 Wages
$62,837
$66,936
Champaign-Urbana
🔒 Crime
365 per 100K
277 per 100K
Champaign-Urbana
🎓 Schools
15.8:1
14:1
Champaign-Urbana
👶 Childcare
$9,487/yr
$12,257/yr
Fayetteville
🌿 Environment
2788 violations
2825 violations
Fayetteville

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Fayetteville to see what you'd need to earn in Champaign-Urbana to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Champaign-Urbana
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Champaign-Urbana more expensive than Fayetteville?
Champaign-Urbana has an RPP of 92.7 compared to Fayetteville's 92.0 (100 = national average). Champaign-Urbana is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Champaign-Urbana is $1,122/mo vs $1,251/mo in Fayetteville.
What are salaries like in Champaign-Urbana compared to Fayetteville?
The median salary in Champaign-Urbana is $66,936 compared to $62,837 in Fayetteville. That's a +$4,099 difference.
Is Champaign-Urbana safer than Fayetteville?
The violent crime rate near Champaign-Urbana is 277 per 100K vs 365 per 100K near Fayetteville (state-level data). Champaign-Urbana has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Champaign-Urbana to match my Fayetteville salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Fayetteville salary by 1.01. For example, a $75,000 salary in Fayetteville would need to be $75,592 in Champaign-Urbana. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Strongly Favorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Strongly Favorable" means the destination clearly wins on most dimensions. Individual priorities may shift the balance, weigh the dimensions that matter most to you.

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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026

Data Sources

  • Cost of Living: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities
  • Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)
  • Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES)
  • Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - state level
  • Schools: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
  • Childcare: Department of Labor (DOL) - state level
  • Environment: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)