City comparison
Jacksonville, NC is about 175 miles (300 km) from Winston-Salem, NC in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 225 miles, or about 4 h 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 Winston-Salem, NC takes about 22 min, covering roughly 175 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.
Winston-Salem has a population of 249,571, vs 71,908 in Jacksonville — about 3.5× larger by population. By land area, Winston-Salem covers about 135 sq mi vs 49 sq mi for Jacksonville.
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 | Winston-Salem | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,181/mo | $956/mo | 23.5% higher in Jacksonville |
| Median home value | $176,200 | $187,400 | 6.4% higher in Winston-Salem |
| Median household income | $50,185 | $54,416 | 8.4% higher in Winston-Salem |
| Groceries index | 96.8 | 96.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 87.9 | 89.1 | 1.4% higher in Winston-Salem |
| 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 $99,343 in Winston-Salem to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Winston-Salem, NC is about 0.7% cheaper overall than Jacksonville, NC, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Jacksonville, you'd need about $79,475 in Winston-Salem to keep the same standard of living.