City comparison
Palatine, IL is about 50 miles (90 km) from Rockford, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 70 miles, or about 1 h 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 Palatine, IL to Rockford, IL takes about 6 min, covering roughly 50 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.
Rockford has a population of 148,173, vs 67,223 in Palatine — about 2.2× larger by population. By land area, Rockford covers about 65 sq mi vs 14 sq mi for Palatine.
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 | Palatine | Rockford | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,427/mo | $906/mo | 57.5% higher in Palatine |
| Median home value | $337,200 | $114,100 | 195.5% higher in Palatine |
| Median household income | $93,383 | $50,744 | 84.0% higher in Palatine |
| Groceries index | 106.3 | 93.9 | 13.2% higher in Palatine |
| Utilities index | 84.3 | 89.6 | 6.3% higher in Rockford |
| Transportation index | 100.2 | 99.3 | 0.8% higher in Palatine |
| Healthcare index | 100.4 | 99.5 | 0.8% higher in Palatine |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Palatine, you'd need $81,338 in Rockford to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Rockford, IL is about 18.7% cheaper overall than Palatine, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 60% higher in Palatine than in Rockford. If you earn $80,000 in Palatine, you'd need about $65,070 in Rockford to keep the same standard of living.