City comparison
Franklin, TN is about 250 miles (400 km) from Kingsport, TN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 300 miles, or about 5 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 Franklin, TN to Kingsport, TN takes about 29 min, covering roughly 250 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.
Franklin has a population of 83,630, vs 55,415 in Kingsport — about 1.5× larger by population. By land area, Kingsport covers about 53 sq mi vs 45 sq mi for Franklin.
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 | Franklin | Kingsport | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,785/mo | $772/mo | 131.2% higher in Franklin |
| Median home value | $574,000 | $181,600 | 216.1% higher in Franklin |
| Median household income | $106,592 | $48,228 | 121.0% higher in Franklin |
| Groceries index | 96.5 | 96.5 | ≈ equal (Franklin slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 74.0 | 77.6 | 4.9% higher in Kingsport |
| Transportation index | 95.6 | 96.2 | 0.6% higher in Kingsport |
| Healthcare index | 95.1 | 95.7 | 0.6% higher in Kingsport |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Franklin, you'd need $78,719 in Kingsport to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Kingsport, TN is about 21.3% cheaper overall than Franklin, TN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 90% higher in Franklin than in Kingsport. If you earn $80,000 in Franklin, you'd need about $62,975 in Kingsport to keep the same standard of living.