Moving to Champaign-Urbana area (Rantoul, Mahomet: best city, apartments, renters)

[MinnesotaGirl]

Hello-
I recently interviewed at the Carle Foundation in Chamapign-Urbana. If I am offered the job-I would be relocating a family of 5 from Minnesota. We did not like the C-U area and looked to the surrounding rural communties. What's life really like in rural Illinois? That's our burning question-does anyone have any information for us?
Thanks!

[crazylilkelly]

I live in savoy which is directly south of champaign. however, i don't live in the rural part. I live right @ the edge of champaign. There are a lot of nice areas to live in @ champaign if you just look for them. You just have to get away from the area where the hospitals are at.
However, if you're set on living outside of cu then I would suggest looking into Mahomet b/c their schools are ranked among top in the state. http://www.psk12.com/rating/USindexphp/STATE_IL.html
Plus, it's right outside of cu so your commute time would be very low. CU was ranked 3rd best city in the nation for best average commute time.
The good thing about living out here is that you have the university of illinois (which I attend) so you always have Illini college sports game, famous speakers, plays, performances, various events & concerts. Essentially, uofi & downtown champaign give the area "city-like" things to do while you can still drive less than 15 min & live in a rural area.
This really is a great area. There are, like most other places, parts that aren't so great but they're easy to avoid & no big deal. Where I live in savoy it's VERY nice. There's a bike path right behind my apartments & there are always familys walking together on it. It's very safe & the neighborhoods out here are very nice. Like I said I live in the most northern part of savoy though, not the rural part.
Good luck w/ everything!!! Who knows, maybe I'll run into you @ carle when I'm doing clinicals!

[Kamsack]

I have a family that live in Mahomet. They moved there in the mid 1980s and love it there. It is a growing small town, cant say they have a lot of shopping and eating places, but it is a very very safe place and the schools are very good. Best in the area.

[corey davenport]

I love the small town, Illinois lifestyle. But don't for a minute think society left us behind. We have top rated hospitals, a big ten university, a nationally recognized junior college, headline shows, broadway plays, fine dinning and great shopping....and so much more.

But, hey... I am probably biased... I've lived, worked and played here for 30 years. It's where my wife and I are raising our children... and I think you will love it here too!

[moderator CUT]

[cherylk]

There are a number of "rural" communities within a 15 minute drive to C-U. With a family of 5, I'm assuming you have school-aged children... A couple of the better schools within the area are Mahomet, St. Joseph-Ogden and Unity. You will, however, pay more to live in Mahomet and St. Joe. Another option might be Mansfield which is a very small, quiet village (a couple of mom & pop style restaurants, a gas station, a general store, a bank - you get the idea) which is only about 16 miles from C-U. Whatever you do, stay away from Rantoul. The housing is less expensive (compared to other communities within the area), but you do not want any children in the school system. I've lived there for almost 10 years and look forward to the day I can move. The population is close to 50% renters and it's a very transient community.

Hope this helps!

[JayPea]

My aunt and uncle live halfway between Mansfield and Mahomet. I don't live there but visit frequently and Mahomet, I would think, would be a good bet. It's small, but growing rapidly, and I've heard many good things about their school system. It, as has been mentioned, a short commute to Champaign-Urbana.