City comparison
Franklin, TN is about 175 miles (300 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 Franklin, TN to Memphis, TN takes about 22 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 83,630 in Franklin — about 7.5× larger by population. By land area, Memphis covers about 290 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 | Memphis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,785/mo | $1,050/mo | 70.0% higher in Franklin |
| Median home value | $574,000 | $139,600 | 311.2% higher in Franklin |
| Median household income | $106,592 | $48,090 | 121.7% higher in Franklin |
| Groceries index | 96.5 | 96.4 | ≈ equal (Franklin slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 74.0 | 76.0 | 2.6% higher in Memphis |
| Transportation index | 95.6 | 95.8 | ≈ equal (Memphis slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 95.1 | 95.3 | ≈ equal (Memphis 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 Franklin, you'd need $88,349 in Memphis to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Memphis, TN is about 11.7% cheaper overall than Franklin, TN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 35% higher in Franklin than in Memphis. If you earn $80,000 in Franklin, you'd need about $70,679 in Memphis to keep the same standard of living.