City comparison
Arlington Heights, IL is about 30 miles (40 km) from Aurora, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 34 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 Arlington Heights, IL to Aurora, IL takes about 3 min, covering roughly 30 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.
Aurora has a population of 181,405, vs 76,794 in Arlington Heights — about 2.4× larger by population. By land area, Aurora covers about 45 sq mi vs 17 sq mi for Arlington Heights.
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 | Arlington Heights | Aurora | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,660/mo | $1,462/mo | 13.5% higher in Arlington Heights |
| Median home value | $396,500 | $241,600 | 64.1% higher in Arlington Heights |
| Median household income | $113,502 | $85,943 | 32.1% higher in Arlington Heights |
| Groceries index | 106.3 | 106.3 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 84.3 | 84.3 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 100.2 | 100.2 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 100.4 | 100.4 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Arlington Heights, you'd need $99,441 in Aurora to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Aurora, IL is about 0.6% cheaper overall than Arlington Heights, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Arlington Heights, you'd need about $79,553 in Aurora to keep the same standard of living.