City comparison
Janesville, WI is about 250 miles (400 km) from Urbandale, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 325 miles, or about 5 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 Janesville, WI to Urbandale, IA takes about 31 min, covering roughly 250 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.
Janesville has a population of 65,669, vs 45,591 in Urbandale — about 1.4× larger by population. By land area, Janesville covers about 35 sq mi vs 23 sq mi for Urbandale.
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 | Urbandale | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $993/mo | $1,108/mo | 11.6% higher in Urbandale |
| Median home value | $186,600 | $298,500 | 60.0% higher in Urbandale |
| Median household income | $68,610 | $111,888 | 63.1% higher in Urbandale |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.0 | ≈ equal (Janesville slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 90.5 | 85.2 | 6.2% higher in Janesville |
| Transportation index | 99.2 | 93.3 | 6.3% higher in Janesville |
| Healthcare index | 99.4 | 93.5 | 6.3% higher in Janesville |
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 $99,966 in Urbandale to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Janesville and Urbandale have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 7% higher in Urbandale than in Janesville. If you earn $80,000 in Janesville, you'd need about $79,973 in Urbandale to keep the same standard of living.