City comparison
Cedar Rapids, IA is about 650 miles (1,100 km) from Monroe, LA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 800 miles, or about 14 hours 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 Cedar Rapids, IA to Monroe, LA takes about 1 h 18 min, covering roughly 650 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.
Cedar Rapids has a population of 136,929, vs 47,631 in Monroe — about 2.9× larger by population. By land area, Cedar Rapids covers about 75 sq mi vs 30 sq mi for Monroe.
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 | Cedar Rapids | Monroe | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $886/mo | $790/mo | 12.2% higher in Cedar Rapids |
| Median home value | $167,900 | $158,200 | 6.1% higher in Cedar Rapids |
| Median household income | $66,895 | $36,550 | 83.0% higher in Cedar Rapids |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.1 | ≈ equal (Monroe slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 84.7 | 74.3 | 14.0% higher in Cedar Rapids |
| Transportation index | 93.3 | 96.1 | 3.1% higher in Monroe |
| Healthcare index | 93.5 | 95.6 | 2.3% higher in Monroe |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Cedar Rapids, you'd need $86,357 in Monroe to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Monroe, LA is about 13.6% cheaper overall than Cedar Rapids, IA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 60% higher in Cedar Rapids than in Monroe. If you earn $80,000 in Cedar Rapids, you'd need about $69,086 in Monroe to keep the same standard of living.