Central Illinois' Champaign-Urbana metro area is Illinois' hottest real estate market, ranking top for annual home price growth despite the state being 34th overall. Champaign-Urbana, a college town with over 60,000 students, saw a 2.97% population increase from 2020-2024. The average home value rose 5.5% to $224,617, with median housing costs of $1,587 and rent at $1,103. The poverty rate is 23.9%, over twice the state average.