Champaign County encompasses 7 cities over 997 square miles. The main population centers are Champaign with just over 67,500 persons and Urbana with just over 36,000 residents. The County median household Income is $37,780. In Champaign the median income for a household is $32,795 and the median income for a family of four is $52,628. In the Champaign-Urbana area, there are approximately 4000 non-farm businesses with 71,000 paid employees.
Since 2000, population growth has been estimated at about 4.0% compared to 1.9% for the entire state. 21% of the population is under 18 years old, 9.1% is over 65 years old and 91% of the residents 25 years old or more have high school degrees while 38% have college degrees (both figures are about 10% higher than statewide averages). The home ownership rate for the county is 55.7%, and the median value of owner occupied housing is $94,700 based on most recent statistics.
Champaign County has a very active Chamber of Commerce. It represents almost 1100 business with over 60,000 employees. Among its recent major achievements was securing Delta Airlines to Willard Airport in Urbana. Affordable access to air service has been one of the main priorities of the growing business community.
The largest employer in the county is the University of Illinois with over 20,000 employees. The University and its National Center for Supercomputing have led to an explosion in the growth of computer and communications related businesses. Since 1998 magazines such as Newsweek and Wired have cited the Champaign-Urbana region as a place to look for the latest in high tech innovation. Wired magazine dubbed the area “the Silicon Prairie” and the name has stuck.
The University of Illinois reports research expenditures in excess of $250 million and it is one of the leading facilities in the county receiving research funds from the National Science Foundation. More than 700 technological innovations are being assessed and licensed by the University’s Office of Technology Management with a total of 111 unique technologies disclosed in 2002 alone.
There are over 150 high-tech companies locally ranging from Fortune 500 denizens to start-ups. High tech companies with local interests include Argus Systems Group, Inc. (computer security software), NEG/Micon (wind turbines), Cisco Systems (software), Wolfram Research (Mathematica software), SIAC, Inc (Science Applications International Corporation, software), Frasca International, Inc. (flight simulators), and Motorola (software for wireless communications equipment).
In 2001 the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce received a grant to support the High Tech School to Work Project, which offers pathways for Champaign, Mahomet-Seymour and Urbana high school students to explore math, science, and technical skills necessary to satisfy the employment needs of the high-tech industry. In 2003, this program was extended to include all public high schools in Champaign County.
Additional major employers include Kraft Foods, with one of the world’s largest food
processing plants and 1600 workers, Solo Cup, manufacturers disposable drinking cups, AC HUMKO makers of shortenings and oils and Vesuvius USA, which creates ceramic valves for the steel industry. The county is also been dubbed the “hobby capitol of the world.” and is home to Hobbico, the nation’s largest distributor of radio-controlled hobby products, as well as Great Planes which makes radio controlled aircrafts and the Horizon Hobby Distributors.
Although only a small percentage of the workforce is employed in agriculture it continues to play a significant role in the local economy. Marketing the county’s agricultural commodities generates millions of dollars annually. Agricultural income dollars flow into the county’s economy through related businesses such as farm machinery sales and service, agricultural real estate, seed and other crop production supply sales plus grain processing plants.
There are still more than 1,371 farms in the county for a combined total of 567,679 acres of cropland. Corn and soybeans are the principal crops. Champaign County is the third leading county in the total output of both corn and soybeans in the state of Illinois. The average Champaign County farm is 414 acres with a land and buildings average value of $1.2 million per farm. Farmland in the area is valued at approximately $3,000 per acre, making it some of the most valuable farmland nationwide. Total farm production expenses average $76,297 per farm for a countywide total of over $104.6 million. More than 50 million bushels of corn and soybeans are produced annually in the county and the total sales of all crops were in excess of $190 million. Additionally, sales of cattle, hogs, eggs, milk, and other farm products amounted to more than $7.3 million.
68.4% of families have both parents in the workforce. 63.9% of men 16 or older are employed in the civilian labor force, 32.3% are not in the labor force and 3.7% reported themselves as unemployed. Of the 64.4% of females in the workforce 61%percent reported themselves as employed. 3.7% unemployed with the remainder no in the workforce. 42.2% of the workforce is in management or professional occupations, 25.3% in sales and office occupations, less than one percent in farming and just over 11% in production, transportation and material moving employment.
35.2 % of the working populations are in educational, health and social services while the other main areas of employment include science, management, administration manufacturing and retail trade. Just over 66% are privately employed and the government employs a little over 28%. 4.9 percent are self-employed in non-incorporated businesses. The average commute time for residents is a little over 15 minutes compared with an average of 28 minutes for the state.
Average household incomes include 16% earning below $15,000, 27% earning from $15,000-$34,999, 19% earning from $35,000-$49,999, just over nine percent earning from $75,000-$99,999 and just over five percent earning $100,000-$149,999.
With a diverse and vibrant economy, an educated and enlightened workforce, great places to live and play, the economic opportunities in the Champaign-Urbana region continue to expand and the future outlook is bright.
- NUMBER1EXPERTS™ 
