City comparison
Burlington, NC is about 50 miles (80 km) from Raleigh, NC in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 60 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 Burlington, NC to Raleigh, NC 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.
Raleigh has a population of 465,517, vs 56,951 in Burlington — about 8.2× larger by population. By land area, Raleigh covers about 150 sq mi vs 31 sq mi for Burlington.
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 | Burlington | Raleigh | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $947/mo | $1,371/mo | 44.8% higher in Raleigh |
| Median home value | $167,000 | $347,000 | 107.8% higher in Raleigh |
| Median household income | $52,963 | $78,631 | 48.5% higher in Raleigh |
| Groceries index | 96.8 | 96.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 89.7 | 89.5 | ≈ equal (Burlington slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 98.4 | 98.4 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 97.9 | 97.9 | ≈ 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 Burlington, you'd need $112,542 in Raleigh to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Burlington, NC is about 11.1% cheaper overall than Raleigh, NC, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 34% higher in Raleigh than in Burlington. If you earn $80,000 in Burlington, you'd need about $90,034 in Raleigh to keep the same standard of living.