City comparison
Downers Grove, IL is about 10 miles (10 km) from Naperville, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 10 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 Downers Grove, IL to Naperville, IL takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 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.
Naperville has a population of 149,089, vs 49,996 in Downers Grove — about 3.0× larger by population. By land area, Naperville covers about 39 sq mi vs 15 sq mi for Downers Grove.
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 | Downers Grove | Naperville | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,535/mo | $1,787/mo | 16.4% higher in Naperville |
| Median home value | $425,000 | $482,600 | 13.6% higher in Naperville |
| Median household income | $115,461 | $143,754 | 24.5% higher in Naperville |
| Groceries index | 106.3 | 106.4 | ≈ equal (Naperville slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 84.3 | 84.4 | ≈ equal (Naperville slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 100.2 | 100.3 | ≈ equal (Naperville slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 100.4 | 100.2 | ≈ equal (Downers Grove slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Downers Grove, you'd need $100,761 in Naperville to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Downers Grove, IL is about 0.8% cheaper overall than Naperville, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Downers Grove, you'd need about $80,609 in Naperville to keep the same standard of living.