City comparison
Charlotte, NC is about 175 miles (275 km) from Wilson, NC in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 200 miles, or about 3 h 30 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 Charlotte, NC to Wilson, NC takes about 20 min, covering roughly 175 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.
Charlotte has a population of 875,045, vs 47,767 in Wilson — about 18.3× larger by population. By land area, Charlotte covers about 310 sq mi vs 32 sq mi for Wilson.
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 | Charlotte | Wilson | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,399/mo | $864/mo | 61.9% higher in Charlotte |
| Median home value | $312,800 | $167,400 | 86.9% higher in Charlotte |
| Median household income | $74,070 | $46,891 | 58.0% higher in Charlotte |
| Groceries index | 96.8 | 96.8 | ≈ equal (Wilson slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 89.7 | 89.0 | 0.8% higher in Charlotte |
| Transportation index | 98.4 | 98.4 | ≈ equal (Charlotte slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 97.9 | 97.9 | ≈ equal (Charlotte slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Charlotte, you'd need $81,880 in Wilson to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Wilson, NC is about 18.1% cheaper overall than Charlotte, NC, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 73% higher in Charlotte than in Wilson. If you earn $80,000 in Charlotte, you'd need about $65,504 in Wilson to keep the same standard of living.