City comparison
Auburn, AL is about 275 miles (450 km) from Jackson, MS in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 350 miles, or about 5 h 45 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 Auburn, AL to Jackson, MS takes about 33 min, covering roughly 275 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.
Jackson has a population of 153,271, vs 76,660 in Auburn — about 2.0× larger by population. By land area, Jackson covers about 110 sq mi vs 63 sq mi for Auburn.
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 | Auburn | Jackson | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $995/mo | $980/mo | 1.5% higher in Auburn |
| Median home value | $327,000 | $104,900 | 211.7% higher in Auburn |
| Median household income | $55,509 | $42,193 | 31.6% higher in Auburn |
| Groceries index | 96.6 | 96.4 | ≈ equal (Auburn slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 84.9 | 79.6 | 6.6% higher in Auburn |
| Transportation index | 97.0 | 96.5 | 0.6% higher in Auburn |
| Healthcare index | 96.5 | 96.0 | 0.6% higher in Auburn |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Auburn, you'd need $100,392 in Jackson to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Auburn and Jackson have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 4% higher in Jackson than in Auburn. If you earn $80,000 in Auburn, you'd need about $80,314 in Jackson to keep the same standard of living.