City comparison
Apple Valley, MN is about 350 miles (550 km) from Chicago, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 425 miles, or about 7 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Apple Valley, MN to Chicago, IL takes about 41 min, covering roughly 350 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Chicago has a population of 2,721,914, vs 55,594 in Apple Valley — about 49.0× larger by population. By land area, Chicago covers about 230 sq mi vs 17 sq mi for Apple Valley.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Apple Valley | Chicago | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,607/mo | $1,314/mo | 22.3% higher in Apple Valley |
| Median home value | $333,300 | $304,500 | 9.5% higher in Apple Valley |
| Median household income | $97,588 | $71,673 | 36.2% higher in Apple Valley |
| Groceries index | 102.5 | 106.4 | 3.8% higher in Chicago |
| Utilities index | 93.3 | 84.4 | 10.6% higher in Apple Valley |
| Transportation index | 103.7 | 100.3 | 3.4% higher in Apple Valley |
| Healthcare index | 103.9 | 100.2 | 3.7% higher in Apple Valley |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Apple Valley, you'd need $98,030 in Chicago to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 2% cheaper overall than Apple Valley, MN, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Apple Valley, you'd need about $78,424 in Chicago to keep the same standard of living.