City comparison
Jackson, TN is about 850 miles (1,400 km) from McAllen, TX in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 1,100 miles, or about 18 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 Jackson, TN to McAllen, TX takes about 1 h 43 min, covering roughly 850 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.
McAllen has a population of 142,722, vs 67,993 in Jackson — about 2.1× larger by population. By land area, McAllen covers about 62 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 | McAllen | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,007/mo | $955/mo | 5.4% higher in Jackson |
| Median home value | $169,300 | $158,700 | 6.7% higher in Jackson |
| Median household income | $48,058 | $56,326 | 17.2% higher in McAllen |
| Groceries index | 96.5 | 94.2 | 2.4% higher in Jackson |
| Utilities index | 74.6 | 82.4 | 10.5% higher in McAllen |
| Transportation index | 95.6 | 96.6 | 1.0% higher in McAllen |
| Healthcare index | 95.1 | 96.1 | 1.1% higher in McAllen |
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 $100,294 in McAllen to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Jackson and McAllen have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Jackson, you'd need about $80,235 in McAllen to keep the same standard of living.