Champaign, Illinois - where to live? (Springfield, Decatur: relocating, property taxes, housing)

[SilverChalice]

Hey guys, we're going to be relocating to the Champaign area. What suburbs within 15 miles of Champaign would be nice to live in?

My husband will be working out of Champaign but I would prefer to live outside of there. We have two kids that are homeschooled so that isn't a problem. Also, I will be opening a boutique in one of the larger cities, maybe even Champaign.

Thanks for all your help!

[Drover]

Champaign/Urbana doesn't really have "suburbs" with the exception of Savoy. The rest of the towns nearby are separated from the Champaign/Urbana duopolis by at least a few miles of cornfields. I'd say the two nicest such towns are Mahomet and St. Joseph. If you can bear to expand your search area by an extra 5 miles or so, I also suggest Monticello, which has the added advantage of being in Piatt County which has lower taxes than Champaign County.

[SilverChalice]

Oh, absolutely! We'll drive 20 miles to Champaign if it means getting a nice area and lower property taxes. Hubby makes about 130K/yr so I think we'll be fine. I had found some houses in Villa Grove but know nothing about it. Just that they were nice houses.

In about a month we will be going there to visit and to see some properties. Your help and any info on this is greatly appreciated. I cannot wait to move back up there. I'm originally from the Midwest (Michigan) and have been in Texas for way too long. I hate the heat, the traffic and most of all the crime in the DFW area. I'm so excited to be looking for a new place to live.

[Drover]

It may be worth mentioning, just so you know what you're getting yourself into, that these are rather small towns we're talking about (4K or less), generally with a concomitant small-town feel. They receive very little "urban" influence from their proximity to C/U and do not have a traditional "suburban" sense about them. They do have nice homes in their downtown cores though.

[SilverChalice]

I'm going to look in Monticello and St. Joseph. Now, are they, these you mentioned, also very small? I don't mind small towns at all. In fact, I like them better because of all the bad things that I've experienced living in the city or near it.

You are so sweet to fill me in on all this. Thanks a lot!

[Drover]

Glad I can help. Monticello is about 5K, St. Joseph is about 3500. BUT -- St. Joe is growing like a weed while Monticello's growth is much more stable.

[SilverChalice]

We currently live in a suburb of Dallas where the population is just over a quarter of a million people. Even Champaign sounds small in comparison. I absolutely hate the overcrowding. They are rude as all get-go too. Never believe it when they say the southerners are just good ole' country folk. Far from it.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by SilverChalice

We currently live in a suburb of Dallas where the population is just over a quarter of a million people. Even Champaign sounds small in comparison. I absolutely hate the overcrowding. They are rude as all get-go too. Never believe it when they say the southerners are just good ole' country folk. Far from it.

Well it's worth remembering that a lot of the folks flooding into DFW are actually Yankee transplants looking for cheaper property, lower taxes, higher home-value appreciation, more sunshine, less snow, or some combination thereof.

[Paxtonian]

If you don't mind being about 25 miles out from Champaign, try my town- Paxton. Have a look at it at: WAND-TV: News & Weather for Champaign-Springfield-Decatur, IL . Go to the video on demand link, then to Central Illinois A to Z. The piece is a couple of minutes long, but it shows what the town is like.

[SilverChalice]

Thanks Paxtonian, I'll check out that link.

Drover,

Well, the people that are moving here are finding out that our taxes are totally out of this world. Very expensive. The homes are not as expensive as on either coasts however, the electricity bills will do you in. The heat is unbearable, the traffic is worse every day. If you want to live in a dumpy area then you can find cheap housing, other than that, it's not so cheap.

I quit my job with JP Morgan because it was taking me 1 hour each way to travel to work, that was only 19 miles. It wasn't worth it. I was only working for extra spending money so I didn't want to deal with the hassles any more. I grew up in a small town up in Michigan. DFW is too big and the weather sucks. It's either hot, or hotter than you know where. Allergies are kicking my rear too. Not sure if it's all the smog or the weather, maybe both.

I don't really care about a new, fancy home. I want the peace and quiet and the clean air. Most of all I am looking forward to having 4 seasons again not eternal summer.