City comparison
Burlington, NC is about 90 miles (150 km) from Wilson, NC in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 100 miles, or about 1 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 Burlington, NC to Wilson, NC takes about 11 min, covering roughly 90 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.
Burlington has a population of 56,951, vs 47,767 in Wilson — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, Wilson covers about 32 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 | Wilson | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $947/mo | $864/mo | 9.6% higher in Burlington |
| Median home value | $167,000 | $167,400 | 0.2% higher in Wilson |
| Median household income | $52,963 | $46,891 | 12.9% higher in Burlington |
| Groceries index | 96.8 | 96.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 89.7 | 89.0 | 0.9% higher in Burlington |
| 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 $90,169 in Wilson to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Wilson, NC is about 9.8% cheaper overall than Burlington, NC, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 36% higher in Burlington than in Wilson. If you earn $80,000 in Burlington, you'd need about $72,136 in Wilson to keep the same standard of living.