City comparison
Janesville, WI is about 30 miles (60 km) from Madison, WI in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 40 miles, or about 44 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 Janesville, WI to Madison, WI 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.
Madison has a population of 268,516, vs 65,669 in Janesville — about 4.1× larger by population. By land area, Madison covers about 84 sq mi vs 35 sq mi for Janesville.
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 | Janesville | Madison | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $993/mo | $1,291/mo | 30.0% higher in Madison |
| Median home value | $186,600 | $326,600 | 75.0% higher in Madison |
| Median household income | $68,610 | $74,895 | 9.2% higher in Madison |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 90.5 | 90.0 | ≈ equal (Janesville slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 99.2 | 99.2 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 99.4 | 99.4 | ≈ 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 Janesville, you'd need $109,663 in Madison to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Janesville, WI is about 8.8% cheaper overall than Madison, WI, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 26% higher in Madison than in Janesville. If you earn $80,000 in Janesville, you'd need about $87,730 in Madison to keep the same standard of living.