City comparison
Hattiesburg, MS is about 650 miles (1,000 km) from Muncie, IN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 800 miles, or about 14 hours 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 Muncie, IN takes about 1 h 18 min, covering roughly 650 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.
Muncie has a population of 65,167, vs 48,466 in Hattiesburg — about 1.3× larger by population. By land area, Hattiesburg covers about 53 sq mi vs 27 sq mi for Muncie.
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 | Muncie | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $936/mo | $842/mo | 11.2% higher in Hattiesburg |
| Median home value | $146,600 | $88,000 | 66.6% higher in Hattiesburg |
| Median household income | $41,024 | $40,309 | 1.8% higher in Hattiesburg |
| Groceries index | 96.4 | 94.5 | 2.1% higher in Hattiesburg |
| Utilities index | 78.5 | 86.9 | 10.7% higher in Muncie |
| Transportation index | 96.5 | 98.9 | 2.5% higher in Muncie |
| Healthcare index | 96.0 | 99.1 | 3.3% higher in Muncie |
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 $100,025 in Muncie to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Hattiesburg and Muncie have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 5% higher in Hattiesburg than in Muncie. If you earn $80,000 in Hattiesburg, you'd need about $80,020 in Muncie to keep the same standard of living.