City comparison
Decatur, IL is about 125 miles (200 km) from Joliet, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 150 miles, or about 2 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 Decatur, IL to Joliet, IL takes about 15 min, covering roughly 125 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.
Joliet has a population of 150,221, vs 70,975 in Decatur — about 2.1× larger by population. By land area, Joliet covers about 66 sq mi vs 44 sq mi for Decatur.
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 | Joliet | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $770/mo | $1,174/mo | 52.5% higher in Joliet |
| Median home value | $96,800 | $233,800 | 141.5% higher in Joliet |
| Median household income | $49,039 | $84,971 | 73.3% higher in Joliet |
| Groceries index | 93.9 | 106.3 | 13.2% higher in Joliet |
| Utilities index | 91.2 | 84.3 | 8.1% higher in Decatur |
| Transportation index | 99.3 | 100.2 | 0.8% higher in Joliet |
| Healthcare index | 99.5 | 100.4 | 0.8% higher in Joliet |
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 $130,650 in Joliet to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Decatur, IL is about 23.5% cheaper overall than Joliet, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 95% higher in Joliet than in Decatur. If you earn $80,000 in Decatur, you'd need about $104,520 in Joliet to keep the same standard of living.