Chicago, IL vs Champaign, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL outspends Champaign, IL by a wide margin per resident — $34,551 versus $15,173, a 128% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Chicago, IL edges Champaign, IL on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 61/100 (grade C) to 55/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Champaign, IL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Chicago, IL carries $977 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754 per resident, while Champaign, IL leads with police at $1,426.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Chicago, IL and 276% in Champaign, IL.
Summary
Chicago spends 127.7% more per capita than Champaign ($19,379/person difference). Chicago, IL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 61/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $26 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $74 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $229 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $85,083 | $4,573 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,847 | $0 |
| Other | $3,463 | $1,152 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,426 |
| Fire Protection | $10,754 | $488 |
| Highways & Roads | $930 | $231 |
| Public Welfare | $1,858 | $465 |
| Health | $426 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,444 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $122 | $0 |
| Housing | $6,520 | $895 |
| Sewerage | $129 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,983 | $5 |
| Other | $9,385 | $11,663 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.