City comparison
Cicero, IL is about 70 miles (125 km) from Rockford, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 90 miles, or about 1 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 Cicero, IL to Rockford, IL takes about 9 min, covering roughly 70 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.
Rockford has a population of 148,173, vs 84,189 in Cicero — about 1.8× larger by population. By land area, Rockford covers about 65 sq mi vs 5.9 sq mi for Cicero.
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 | Cicero | Rockford | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,094/mo | $906/mo | 20.8% higher in Cicero |
| Median home value | $224,300 | $114,100 | 96.6% higher in Cicero |
| Median household income | $64,325 | $50,744 | 26.8% higher in Cicero |
| Groceries index | 106.3 | 93.9 | 13.2% higher in Cicero |
| Utilities index | 84.3 | 89.6 | 6.3% higher in Rockford |
| Transportation index | 100.2 | 99.3 | 0.8% higher in Cicero |
| Healthcare index | 100.4 | 99.5 | 0.8% higher in Cicero |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Cicero, you'd need $82,121 in Rockford to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Rockford, IL is about 17.9% cheaper overall than Cicero, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 56% higher in Cicero than in Rockford. If you earn $80,000 in Cicero, you'd need about $65,697 in Rockford to keep the same standard of living.