City comparison
Elmhurst, IL is about 60 miles (100 km) from Rockford, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 80 miles, or about 1 h 15 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 Elmhurst, IL to Rockford, IL takes about 8 min, covering roughly 60 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.
Rockford has a population of 148,173, vs 45,648 in Elmhurst — about 3.2× larger by population. By land area, Rockford covers about 65 sq mi vs 10 sq mi for Elmhurst.
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 | Elmhurst | Rockford | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,843/mo | $906/mo | 103.4% higher in Elmhurst |
| Median home value | $516,900 | $114,100 | 353.0% higher in Elmhurst |
| Median household income | $143,492 | $50,744 | 182.8% higher in Elmhurst |
| Groceries index | 106.3 | 93.9 | 13.2% higher in Elmhurst |
| Utilities index | 84.3 | 89.6 | 6.3% higher in Rockford |
| Transportation index | 100.2 | 99.3 | 0.8% higher in Elmhurst |
| Healthcare index | 100.4 | 99.5 | 0.8% higher in Elmhurst |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Elmhurst, you'd need $80,379 in Rockford to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Rockford, IL is about 19.6% cheaper overall than Elmhurst, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 64% higher in Elmhurst than in Rockford. If you earn $80,000 in Elmhurst, you'd need about $64,303 in Rockford to keep the same standard of living.