City comparison
Madison, WI is about 300 miles (500 km) from Pontiac, MI in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 400 miles, or about 6 h 30 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 Madison, WI to Pontiac, MI takes about 37 min, covering roughly 300 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 61,965 in Pontiac — about 4.3× larger by population. By land area, Madison covers about 84 sq mi vs 20 sq mi for Pontiac.
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 | Madison | Pontiac | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,291/mo | $947/mo | 36.3% higher in Madison |
| Median home value | $326,600 | $100,100 | 226.3% higher in Madison |
| Median household income | $74,895 | $40,307 | 85.8% higher in Madison |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 98.6 | 4.9% higher in Pontiac |
| Utilities index | 90.0 | 105.6 | 17.3% higher in Pontiac |
| Transportation index | 99.2 | 102.1 | 2.9% higher in Pontiac |
| Healthcare index | 99.4 | 102.3 | 2.9% higher in Pontiac |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Madison, you'd need $100,123 in Pontiac to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Madison and Pontiac have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 8% higher in Madison than in Pontiac. If you earn $80,000 in Madison, you'd need about $80,098 in Pontiac to keep the same standard of living.