City comparison
Fayetteville, NC is about 70 miles (125 km) from Wilson, NC in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 90 miles, or about 1 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 Fayetteville, NC to Wilson, NC takes about 9 min, covering roughly 70 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 208,697, vs 47,767 in Wilson — about 4.4× larger by population. By land area, Fayetteville covers about 150 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 | Fayetteville | Wilson | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,117/mo | $864/mo | 29.3% higher in Fayetteville |
| Median home value | $158,500 | $167,400 | 5.6% higher in Wilson |
| Median household income | $53,424 | $46,891 | 13.9% higher in Fayetteville |
| Groceries index | 96.8 | 96.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 88.4 | 89.0 | 0.6% higher in Wilson |
| 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 Fayetteville, you'd need $91,682 in Wilson to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Wilson, NC is about 8.3% cheaper overall than Fayetteville, NC, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 30% higher in Fayetteville than in Wilson. If you earn $80,000 in Fayetteville, you'd need about $73,346 in Wilson to keep the same standard of living.