City comparison
Jackson, MS is about 100 miles (175 km) from Monroe, LA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 125 miles, or about 2 h 15 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 Jackson, MS to Monroe, LA takes about 13 min, covering roughly 100 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.
Jackson has a population of 153,271, vs 47,631 in Monroe — about 3.2× larger by population. By land area, Jackson covers about 110 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 | Jackson | Monroe | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $980/mo | $790/mo | 24.1% higher in Jackson |
| Median home value | $104,900 | $158,200 | 50.8% higher in Monroe |
| Median household income | $42,193 | $36,550 | 15.4% higher in Jackson |
| Groceries index | 96.4 | 94.1 | 2.4% higher in Jackson |
| Utilities index | 79.6 | 74.3 | 7.3% higher in Jackson |
| Transportation index | 96.5 | 96.1 | ≈ equal (Jackson slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 96.0 | 95.6 | ≈ equal (Jackson 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 Jackson, you'd need $87,800 in Monroe to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Monroe, LA is about 12.2% cheaper overall than Jackson, MS, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 48% higher in Jackson than in Monroe. If you earn $80,000 in Jackson, you'd need about $70,240 in Monroe to keep the same standard of living.