City comparison
Arlington Heights, IL is about 150 miles (250 km) from Decatur, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 200 miles, or about 3 h 30 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 Decatur, IL takes about 19 min, covering roughly 150 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.
Arlington Heights has a population of 76,794, vs 70,975 in Decatur — about the same size. By land area, Decatur covers about 44 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 | Decatur | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,660/mo | $770/mo | 115.6% higher in Arlington Heights |
| Median home value | $396,500 | $96,800 | 309.6% higher in Arlington Heights |
| Median household income | $113,502 | $49,039 | 131.5% higher in Arlington Heights |
| Groceries index | 106.3 | 93.9 | 13.2% higher in Arlington Heights |
| Utilities index | 84.3 | 91.2 | 8.1% higher in Decatur |
| Transportation index | 100.2 | 99.3 | 0.8% higher in Arlington Heights |
| Healthcare index | 100.4 | 99.5 | 0.8% higher in Arlington Heights |
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 $75,481 in Decatur to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Decatur, IL is about 24.5% cheaper overall than Arlington Heights, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 101% higher in Arlington Heights than in Decatur. If you earn $80,000 in Arlington Heights, you'd need about $60,385 in Decatur to keep the same standard of living.