City comparison
Elgin, IL is about 600 miles (950 km) from Roswell, GA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 750 miles, or about 12 hours 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 Elgin, IL to Roswell, GA takes about 1 h 11 min, covering roughly 600 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 92,770 in Roswell — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, Roswell covers about 41 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 | Elgin | Roswell | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,190/mo | $1,619/mo | 36.1% higher in Roswell |
| Median home value | $242,500 | $479,400 | 97.7% higher in Roswell |
| Median household income | $85,998 | $122,924 | 42.9% higher in Roswell |
| Groceries index | 106.3 | 100.3 | 6.0% higher in Elgin |
| Utilities index | 84.3 | 96.1 | 14.0% higher in Roswell |
| Transportation index | 100.2 | 97.0 | 3.2% higher in Elgin |
| Healthcare index | 100.4 | 96.5 | 4.0% 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 Elgin, you'd need $99,894 in Roswell to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Elgin and Roswell have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 2% higher in Roswell than in Elgin. If you earn $80,000 in Elgin, you'd need about $79,915 in Roswell to keep the same standard of living.