City comparison
Evanston, IL is about 40 miles (70 km) from Joliet, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 50 miles, or about 54 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 Evanston, IL to Joliet, IL takes about 5 min, covering roughly 40 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.
Joliet has a population of 150,221, vs 77,181 in Evanston — about 1.9× larger by population. By land area, Joliet covers about 66 sq mi vs 7.8 sq mi for Evanston.
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 | Evanston | Joliet | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,625/mo | $1,174/mo | 38.4% higher in Evanston |
| Median home value | $454,600 | $233,800 | 94.4% higher in Evanston |
| Median household income | $93,188 | $84,971 | 9.7% higher in Evanston |
| Groceries index | 106.3 | 106.3 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 84.3 | 84.3 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 100.2 | 100.2 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 100.4 | 100.4 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Evanston, you'd need $98,710 in Joliet to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Joliet, IL is about 1.3% cheaper overall than Evanston, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 3% higher in Evanston than in Joliet. If you earn $80,000 in Evanston, you'd need about $78,968 in Joliet to keep the same standard of living.