City comparison
Fayetteville, AR is about 200 miles (325 km) from Jonesboro, AR in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 250 miles, or about 4 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 Fayetteville, AR to Jonesboro, AR takes about 24 min, covering roughly 200 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.
Fayetteville has a population of 95,022, vs 78,379 in Jonesboro — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, Jonesboro covers about 80 sq mi vs 55 sq mi for Fayetteville.
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 | Fayetteville | Jonesboro | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $944/mo | $871/mo | 8.4% higher in Fayetteville |
| Median home value | $291,300 | $196,100 | 48.5% higher in Fayetteville |
| Median household income | $56,881 | $51,124 | 11.3% higher in Fayetteville |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 76.9 | 76.8 | ≈ equal (Fayetteville slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 95.8 | 95.8 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 95.3 | 95.3 | ≈ 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 Fayetteville, you'd need $89,375 in Jonesboro to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Jonesboro, AR is about 10.6% cheaper overall than Fayetteville, AR, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 39% higher in Fayetteville than in Jonesboro. If you earn $80,000 in Fayetteville, you'd need about $71,500 in Jonesboro to keep the same standard of living.