City comparison
Joliet, IL is about 950 miles (1,600 km) from San Marcos, TX in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 1,200 miles, or about 20 hours (about 2 days at 10 h/day) 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 Joliet, IL to San Marcos, TX takes about 1 h 57 min, covering roughly 950 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 67,143 in San Marcos — about 2.2× larger by population. By land area, Joliet covers about 66 sq mi vs 40 sq mi for San Marcos.
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 | Joliet | San Marcos | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,174/mo | $1,251/mo | 6.6% higher in San Marcos |
| Median home value | $233,800 | $248,300 | 6.2% higher in San Marcos |
| Median household income | $84,971 | $47,394 | 79.3% higher in Joliet |
| Groceries index | 106.3 | 94.2 | 12.8% higher in Joliet |
| Utilities index | 84.3 | 83.2 | 1.4% higher in Joliet |
| Transportation index | 100.2 | 96.6 | 3.7% higher in Joliet |
| Healthcare index | 100.4 | 96.1 | 4.4% higher in Joliet |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Joliet, you'd need $100,125 in San Marcos to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Joliet and San Marcos have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 7% higher in San Marcos than in Joliet. If you earn $80,000 in Joliet, you'd need about $80,100 in San Marcos to keep the same standard of living.