City comparison
Jackson, TN is about 275 miles (450 km) from Knoxville, TN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 350 miles, or about 5 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 Jackson, TN to Knoxville, TN takes about 33 min, covering roughly 275 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.
Knoxville has a population of 191,857, vs 67,993 in Jackson — about 2.8× larger by population. By land area, Knoxville covers about 99 sq mi vs 59 sq mi for Jackson.
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 | Knoxville | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,007/mo | $1,043/mo | 3.6% higher in Knoxville |
| Median home value | $169,300 | $184,200 | 8.8% higher in Knoxville |
| Median household income | $48,058 | $48,309 | 0.5% higher in Knoxville |
| Groceries index | 96.5 | 96.5 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 74.6 | 73.9 | 0.9% higher in Jackson |
| Transportation index | 95.6 | 95.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 95.1 | 95.1 | ≈ equal |
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 $112,972 in Knoxville to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Jackson, TN is about 11.5% cheaper overall than Knoxville, TN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 41% higher in Knoxville than in Jackson. If you earn $80,000 in Jackson, you'd need about $90,377 in Knoxville to keep the same standard of living.