City comparison
Austin, TX is about 550 miles (900 km) from Memphis, TN 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 Austin, TX to Memphis, TN takes about 1 h 7 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.
Austin has a population of 958,202, vs 630,027 in Memphis — about 1.5× larger by population. By land area, Austin covers about 325 sq mi vs 290 sq mi for Memphis.
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 | Austin | Memphis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,050/mo | 47.5% higher in Austin |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $139,600 | 230.6% higher in Austin |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $48,090 | 80.0% higher in Austin |
| Groceries index | 94.2 | 96.4 | 2.4% higher in Memphis |
| Utilities index | 83.2 | 76.0 | 9.5% higher in Austin |
| Transportation index | 96.6 | 95.8 | 0.8% higher in Austin |
| Healthcare index | 96.1 | 95.3 | 0.8% higher in Austin |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Austin, you'd need $83,211 in Memphis to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Memphis, TN is about 16.8% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 50% higher in Austin than in Memphis. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $66,569 in Memphis to keep the same standard of living.