City comparison
Joliet, IL is about 550 miles (900 km) from Smyrna, GA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 700 miles, or about 12 hours 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 Smyrna, GA takes about 1 h 8 min, covering roughly 550 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 55,863 in Smyrna — about 2.7× larger by population. By land area, Joliet covers about 66 sq mi vs 16 sq mi for Smyrna.
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 | Smyrna | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,174/mo | $1,553/mo | 32.3% higher in Smyrna |
| Median home value | $233,800 | $380,100 | 62.6% higher in Smyrna |
| Median household income | $84,971 | $92,258 | 8.6% higher in Smyrna |
| Groceries index | 106.3 | 100.3 | 6.0% higher in Joliet |
| Utilities index | 84.3 | 96.1 | 14.0% higher in Smyrna |
| Transportation index | 100.2 | 97.0 | 3.2% higher in Joliet |
| Healthcare index | 100.4 | 96.5 | 4.0% 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 $99,750 in Smyrna to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Joliet and Smyrna have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Joliet, you'd need about $79,800 in Smyrna to keep the same standard of living.