City comparison
Durham, NC is about 60 miles (90 km) from Wilson, NC in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 70 miles, or about 1 h 15 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 Durham, NC to Wilson, NC takes about 7 min, covering roughly 60 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.
Durham has a population of 284,094, vs 47,767 in Wilson — about 5.9× larger by population. By land area, Durham covers about 120 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 | Durham | Wilson | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,296/mo | $864/mo | 50.0% higher in Durham |
| Median home value | $316,600 | $167,400 | 89.1% higher in Durham |
| Median household income | $74,710 | $46,891 | 59.3% higher in Durham |
| Groceries index | 96.8 | 96.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 89.8 | 89.0 | 1.0% higher in Durham |
| 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 Durham, you'd need $81,712 in Wilson to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Wilson, NC is about 18.3% cheaper overall than Durham, NC, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 74% higher in Durham than in Wilson. If you earn $80,000 in Durham, you'd need about $65,370 in Wilson to keep the same standard of living.