City comparison
Clarksville, TN is about 175 miles (275 km) from Memphis, TN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 225 miles, or about 3 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 Clarksville, TN to Memphis, TN takes about 21 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.
Memphis has a population of 630,027, vs 167,882 in Clarksville — about 3.8× larger by population. By land area, Memphis covers about 290 sq mi vs 100 sq mi for Clarksville.
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 | Clarksville | Memphis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,119/mo | $1,050/mo | 6.6% higher in Clarksville |
| Median home value | $213,200 | $139,600 | 52.7% higher in Clarksville |
| Median household income | $62,688 | $48,090 | 30.4% higher in Clarksville |
| Groceries index | 96.5 | 96.4 | ≈ equal (Clarksville slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 74.5 | 76.0 | 1.9% higher in Memphis |
| Transportation index | 96.0 | 95.8 | ≈ equal (Clarksville slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 95.5 | 95.3 | ≈ equal (Clarksville 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 Clarksville, you'd need $102,557 in Memphis to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Clarksville, TN is about 2.5% cheaper overall than Memphis, TN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 7% higher in Memphis than in Clarksville. If you earn $80,000 in Clarksville, you'd need about $82,046 in Memphis to keep the same standard of living.