City comparison
Elgin, IL is about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from San Marcos, TX in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 1,200 miles, or about 21 hours (about 2 days at 10 h/day) 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 San Marcos, TX takes about 2 h, covering roughly 1,000 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 67,143 in San Marcos — about 1.7× larger by population. By land area, San Marcos covers about 40 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 | San Marcos | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,190/mo | $1,251/mo | 5.1% higher in San Marcos |
| Median home value | $242,500 | $248,300 | 2.4% higher in San Marcos |
| Median household income | $85,998 | $47,394 | 81.5% higher in Elgin |
| Groceries index | 106.3 | 94.2 | 12.8% higher in Elgin |
| Utilities index | 84.3 | 83.2 | 1.4% higher in Elgin |
| Transportation index | 100.2 | 96.6 | 3.7% higher in Elgin |
| Healthcare index | 100.4 | 96.1 | 4.4% 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 $100,077 in San Marcos to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Elgin and San Marcos have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 7% higher in San Marcos than in Elgin. If you earn $80,000 in Elgin, you'd need about $80,061 in San Marcos to keep the same standard of living.