City comparison
Evanston, IL is about 30 miles (50 km) from Naperville, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 40 miles, or about 40 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 Naperville, IL takes about 4 min, covering roughly 30 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 77,181 in Evanston — about 1.9× larger by population. By land area, Naperville covers about 39 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 | Naperville | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,625/mo | $1,787/mo | 10.0% higher in Naperville |
| Median home value | $454,600 | $482,600 | 6.2% higher in Naperville |
| Median household income | $93,188 | $143,754 | 54.3% 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 (Evanston 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 Evanston, you'd need $100,493 in Naperville to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Evanston, IL is about 0.5% cheaper overall than Naperville, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Evanston, you'd need about $80,395 in Naperville to keep the same standard of living.