City comparison
Decatur, IL is about 150 miles (250 km) from Elgin, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 200 miles, or about 3 h 15 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 Decatur, IL to Elgin, IL takes about 18 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.
Elgin has a population of 114,190, vs 70,975 in Decatur — about 1.6× larger by population. By land area, Decatur covers about 44 sq mi vs 38 sq mi for Elgin.
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 | Decatur | Elgin | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $770/mo | $1,190/mo | 54.5% higher in Elgin |
| Median home value | $96,800 | $242,500 | 150.5% higher in Elgin |
| Median household income | $49,039 | $85,998 | 75.4% higher in Elgin |
| Groceries index | 93.9 | 106.3 | 13.2% higher in Elgin |
| Utilities index | 91.2 | 84.3 | 8.1% higher in Decatur |
| Transportation index | 99.3 | 100.2 | 0.8% higher in Elgin |
| Healthcare index | 99.5 | 100.4 | 0.8% higher in Elgin |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Decatur, you'd need $130,713 in Elgin to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Decatur, IL is about 23.5% cheaper overall than Elgin, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 95% higher in Elgin than in Decatur. If you earn $80,000 in Decatur, you'd need about $104,571 in Elgin to keep the same standard of living.