City comparison
Jonesboro, AR is about 225 miles (375 km) from Joplin, MO in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 275 miles, or about 4 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 Jonesboro, AR to Joplin, MO takes about 28 min, covering roughly 225 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.
Jonesboro has a population of 78,379, vs 51,848 in Joplin — about 1.5× larger by population. By land area, Jonesboro covers about 80 sq mi vs 38 sq mi for Joplin.
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 | Jonesboro | Joplin | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $871/mo | $873/mo | 0.2% higher in Joplin |
| Median home value | $196,100 | $147,000 | 33.4% higher in Jonesboro |
| Median household income | $51,124 | $50,996 | 0.3% higher in Jonesboro |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.4 | ≈ equal (Joplin slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 76.8 | 86.4 | 12.6% higher in Joplin |
| Transportation index | 95.8 | 93.4 | 2.5% higher in Jonesboro |
| Healthcare index | 95.3 | 93.6 | 1.7% higher in Jonesboro |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Jonesboro, you'd need $100,392 in Joplin to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Jonesboro and Joplin have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Jonesboro, you'd need about $80,314 in Joplin to keep the same standard of living.