City comparison
Decatur, IL is about 40 miles (60 km) from Springfield, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 50 miles, or about 47 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 Springfield, 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.
Springfield has a population of 114,214, vs 70,975 in Decatur — about 1.6× larger by population. By land area, Springfield covers about 61 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 | Springfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $770/mo | $913/mo | 18.6% higher in Springfield |
| Median home value | $96,800 | $147,700 | 52.6% higher in Springfield |
| Median household income | $49,039 | $62,419 | 27.3% higher in Springfield |
| Groceries index | 93.9 | 93.9 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 91.2 | 90.5 | 0.7% 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 Decatur, you'd need $107,923 in Springfield to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Decatur, IL is about 7.3% cheaper overall than Springfield, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 27% higher in Springfield than in Decatur. If you earn $80,000 in Decatur, you'd need about $86,339 in Springfield to keep the same standard of living.