City comparison
Jacksonville, NC is about 80 miles (125 km) from Wilson, NC in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 90 miles, or about 1 h 30 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 Jacksonville, NC to Wilson, NC takes about 9 min, covering roughly 80 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.
Jacksonville has a population of 71,908, vs 47,767 in Wilson — about 1.5× larger by population. By land area, Jacksonville covers about 49 sq mi vs 32 sq mi for Wilson.
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 | Jacksonville | Wilson | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,181/mo | $864/mo | 36.7% higher in Jacksonville |
| Median home value | $176,200 | $167,400 | 5.3% higher in Jacksonville |
| Median household income | $50,185 | $46,891 | 7.0% higher in Jacksonville |
| Groceries index | 96.8 | 96.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 87.9 | 89.0 | 1.2% higher in Wilson |
| Transportation index | 98.4 | 98.4 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 97.9 | 97.9 | ≈ 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 Jacksonville, you'd need $91,914 in Wilson to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Wilson, NC is about 8.1% cheaper overall than Jacksonville, NC, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 29% higher in Jacksonville than in Wilson. If you earn $80,000 in Jacksonville, you'd need about $73,531 in Wilson to keep the same standard of living.