City comparison
Decatur, IL is about 175 miles (300 km) from Waukegan, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 225 miles, or about 3 h 45 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 Waukegan, IL takes about 22 min, covering roughly 175 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.
Waukegan has a population of 89,435, vs 70,975 in Decatur — about 1.3× larger by population. By land area, Decatur covers about 44 sq mi vs 24 sq mi for Waukegan.
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 | Waukegan | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $770/mo | $1,132/mo | 47.0% higher in Waukegan |
| Median home value | $96,800 | $164,400 | 69.8% higher in Waukegan |
| Median household income | $49,039 | $66,077 | 34.7% higher in Waukegan |
| Groceries index | 93.9 | 106.0 | 13.0% higher in Waukegan |
| Utilities index | 91.2 | 84.8 | 7.5% higher in Decatur |
| Transportation index | 99.3 | 100.1 | 0.8% higher in Waukegan |
| Healthcare index | 99.5 | 100.3 | 0.8% higher in Waukegan |
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 $128,679 in Waukegan to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Decatur, IL is about 22.3% cheaper overall than Waukegan, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 88% higher in Waukegan than in Decatur. If you earn $80,000 in Decatur, you'd need about $102,943 in Waukegan to keep the same standard of living.