City comparison
Bloomington, IL is about 40 miles (70 km) from Decatur, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 50 miles, or about 54 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 Bloomington, IL to Decatur, IL takes about 5 min, covering roughly 40 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.
Bloomington has a population of 78,788, vs 70,975 in Decatur — about 1.1× larger by population. By land area, Decatur covers about 44 sq mi vs 27 sq mi for Bloomington.
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 | Bloomington | Decatur | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $959/mo | $770/mo | 24.5% higher in Bloomington |
| Median home value | $190,700 | $96,800 | 97.0% higher in Bloomington |
| Median household income | $73,119 | $49,039 | 49.1% higher in Bloomington |
| Groceries index | 93.9 | 93.9 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 89.8 | 91.2 | 1.5% higher in Decatur |
| Transportation index | 99.3 | 99.3 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 99.5 | 99.5 | ≈ 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 Bloomington, you'd need $91,320 in Decatur to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Decatur, IL is about 8.7% cheaper overall than Bloomington, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 32% higher in Bloomington than in Decatur. If you earn $80,000 in Bloomington, you'd need about $73,056 in Decatur to keep the same standard of living.