City comparison
Houston, TX is about 475 miles (800 km) from Memphis, TN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 600 miles, or about 10 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 Houston, TX to Memphis, TN takes about 58 min, covering roughly 475 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.
Houston has a population of 2,296,253, vs 630,027 in Memphis — about 3.6× larger by population. By land area, Houston covers about 640 sq mi vs 290 sq mi for Memphis.
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 | Houston | Memphis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $1,050/mo | 17.6% higher in Houston |
| Median home value | $235,000 | $139,600 | 68.3% higher in Houston |
| Median household income | $60,440 | $48,090 | 25.7% higher in Houston |
| Groceries index | 100.4 | 96.4 | 4.1% higher in Houston |
| Utilities index | 96.3 | 76.0 | 26.8% higher in Houston |
| Transportation index | 95.8 | 95.8 | ≈ equal (Memphis slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 95.2 | 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 Houston, you'd need $87,474 in Memphis to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Memphis, TN is about 12.5% cheaper overall than Houston, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 30% higher in Houston than in Memphis. If you earn $80,000 in Houston, you'd need about $69,979 in Memphis to keep the same standard of living.