City comparison
Peoria, IL is about 100 miles (175 km) from Rockford, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 125 miles, or about 2 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 Peoria, IL to Rockford, IL takes about 13 min, covering roughly 100 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 113,054 in Peoria — about 1.3× larger by population. By land area, Rockford covers about 65 sq mi vs 48 sq mi for Peoria.
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 | Peoria | Rockford | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $917/mo | $906/mo | 1.2% higher in Peoria |
| Median home value | $146,700 | $114,100 | 28.6% higher in Peoria |
| Median household income | $58,068 | $50,744 | 14.4% higher in Peoria |
| Groceries index | 93.9 | 93.9 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 90.6 | 89.6 | 1.1% higher in Peoria |
| Transportation index | 99.3 | 99.3 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 99.5 | 99.5 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Peoria, you'd need $102,785 in Rockford to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Peoria, IL is about 2.7% cheaper overall than Rockford, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 9% higher in Rockford than in Peoria. If you earn $80,000 in Peoria, you'd need about $82,228 in Rockford to keep the same standard of living.