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People Statistics · City

Population of the urban area in Champaign

1975 – 2025 · 11 data points 8 of 11 · Towns of Illinois Updated Oct 21, 2026

Source: European Commission JRC — GHSL Urban Centre Database, 1975 – 2025

Population of the urban area, 1975 – 2025 people · Champaign
1975 
 
1985 
 
1995 
 
2005 
 
2015 
 
86,488
2025 

Source: European Commission JRC — GHSL Urban Centre Database, 1975 – 2025

The series at a glance Champaign · 1975 – 2025
Latest value 86,488 · 2025
First value 75,863 · 1975
Highest 92,755 · 2015
Lowest 75,863 · 1975
Average change +0.3% a year on average
Data points 11

By year

All years · 1975 – 2025

YearChampaignChange
2025 86,488 −0.9%
2020 87,233 −6.0%
2015 92,755 +0.8%
2010 92,058 +6.3%
2005 86,591 +5.9%
2000 81,759 +0.8%
1995 81,118 +3.7%
1990 78,244 +0.8%
1985 77,644 −1.4%
1980 78,757 +3.8%
1975 75,863

Source: European Commission JRC — GHSL Urban Centre Database, 1975 – 2025

Ranking · Towns of Illinois

1985 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryPopulation of the urban area
1 Chicago 4.9M
2 Aurora 238K
3 Bolingbrook 192K
4 Wheaton 162K
5 Champaign 77,644
6 Bloomington 68,750
7 Chicago Heights 61,048
8 Elgin 56,162
9 Joliet 47,839
10 Waukegan 42,714
11 Lake in the Hills 40,035

Source: European Commission JRC — GHSL Urban Centre Database, 1985

What it means

How many people live in the built-up city as a whole, regardless of municipal borders.

How it is calculated

Satellite maps of buildings and census data are combined into a 1 km grid; the continuous dense area of at least 50,000 people is the urban centre. Every five years from 1975; 2030 is a projection.