City comparison
Hattiesburg, MS is about 175 miles (300 km) from Monroe, LA 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 Hattiesburg, MS to Monroe, LA 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.
Hattiesburg has a population of 48,466, vs 47,631 in Monroe — about the same size. By land area, Hattiesburg covers about 53 sq mi vs 30 sq mi for Monroe.
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 | Hattiesburg | Monroe | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $936/mo | $790/mo | 18.5% higher in Hattiesburg |
| Median home value | $146,600 | $158,200 | 7.9% higher in Monroe |
| Median household income | $41,024 | $36,550 | 12.2% higher in Hattiesburg |
| Groceries index | 96.4 | 94.1 | 2.4% higher in Hattiesburg |
| Utilities index | 78.5 | 74.3 | 5.7% higher in Hattiesburg |
| Transportation index | 96.5 | 96.1 | ≈ equal (Hattiesburg slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 96.0 | 95.6 | ≈ equal (Hattiesburg 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 Hattiesburg, you'd need $90,053 in Monroe to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Monroe, LA is about 9.9% cheaper overall than Hattiesburg, MS, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 38% higher in Hattiesburg than in Monroe. If you earn $80,000 in Hattiesburg, you'd need about $72,042 in Monroe to keep the same standard of living.