Game 7: Saturday, October 19, 2024 | Michigan vs. Illinois | Memorial Stadium | 3:30 PM
After enjoying a bye week, the Michigan Wolverines hit the road to take on the Illinois Fighting Illini in Champaign this weekend. This game marks the start of the second half of the season for Michigan, who are looking to build momentum. Beyond the football field, let’s take a look at how these two college towns—Ann Arbor and Urbana-Champaign—stack up against each other.
Ann Arbor, MI vs. Urbana-Champaign, IL
Ann Arbor, home to the University of Michigan, has a population of 119,381, making it a vibrant, mid-sized city. Urbana-Champaign presents a slight challenge since they are technically twin cities (or metros that have grown into each other over time, losing their mutual buffer zone). As such, calculating the population gets tricky, so we’ve decided to sum them up and call it one city for the sake of comparison. Together, Urbana-Champaign has a population of 127,398. Both Ann Arbor and Urbana-Champaign are anchored by their universities, which play key roles in their local economies and cultures.
Economic Indicators: Income, Cost of Living, and Employment
The economic differences between Ann Arbor and Urbana-Champaign provide interesting points of comparison:
- Median Household Income: Ann Arbor enjoys a significantly higher median household income of $78,546, compared to Urbana-Champaign’s $58,273. This reflects the difference in the types of industries and employment opportunities available in each region.
- Cost of Living: Urbana-Champaign boasts a slightly lower cost of living, with an index of 98.3, compared to Ann Arbor’s 99.5.
- Unemployment Rate: As of August 2024, Urbana-Champaign has a higher unemployment rate of 4.9% compared to Ann Arbor’s 4.2%.
Education and Research: Comparing Academic Strengths
Both the University of Michigan and the University of Illinois are renowned research institutions with their own academic strengths:
- Educational Attainment: Ann Arbor has a highly educated population, with 77.5% of residents aged 25 and older holding a bachelor’s degree or higher. Urbana-Champaign, while lower in comparison, still boasts a strong educational base, with 51.8% of its population holding a bachelor’s degree or higher.
- University Enrollment and Graduates: The University of Illinois is larger, enrolling 62,417 students in Fall 2022 compared to Michigan’s 51,225. In terms of graduates, Illinois produced 16,803 graduates for the 2022-2023 academic year, while Michigan awarded 16,132 degrees.
- Research and Development (R&D) Expenditures: Michigan leads with $1.77 billion in R&D expenditures in 2022 (ranked #4 nationally), while Illinois spent $765.9 million (ranked #39). Both schools are leaders in research, though Michigan’s investment underscores its position as a global powerhouse in innovation.
Looking Ahead
As Michigan enters the second half of the season, this away game in Urbana-Champaign will be a key test as the team comes off a bye week following a tough loss to Washington. While the Wolverines battle the Fighting Illini on the field, the differences between Ann Arbor and Urbana-Champaign show the unique qualities of both college towns. Ann Arbor, with its tech-driven economy and world-class research, contrasts with Urbana-Champaign’s more affordable, education-focused community.
Want to Learn More?
If you’re interested in discovering more about what makes Ann Arbor a thriving community, our business development team at SPARK is here to help. We can connect you with detailed data, resources, and insights about the region to support your business decisions or relocation plans. Contact us today to learn how we can assist you in tapping into the opportunities that Ann Arbor has to offer.
In case you missed it, here are links to the regional comparisons we’ve posted so far this season:
Game 1: Ann Arbor vs. Fresno, CA
Game 2: Ann Arbor vs. Austin, TX
Game 3: Ann Arbor vs. Jonesboro, AR
Game 4: Ann Arbor vs. Los Angeles, CA
Game 5: Ann Arbor vs. Minneapolis, MN
Game 6: Ann Arbor vs. Seattle, WA
