City comparison
Jonesboro, AR is about 250 miles (400 km) from Monroe, LA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 300 miles, or about 5 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 Jonesboro, AR to Monroe, LA takes about 29 min, covering roughly 250 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 47,631 in Monroe — about 1.6× larger by population. By land area, Jonesboro covers about 80 sq mi vs 30 sq mi for Monroe.
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 | Monroe | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $871/mo | $790/mo | 10.3% higher in Jonesboro |
| Median home value | $196,100 | $158,200 | 24.0% higher in Jonesboro |
| Median household income | $51,124 | $36,550 | 39.9% higher in Jonesboro |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.1 | ≈ equal (Monroe slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 76.8 | 74.3 | 3.4% higher in Jonesboro |
| Transportation index | 95.8 | 96.1 | ≈ equal (Monroe slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 95.3 | 95.6 | ≈ equal (Monroe slightly higher) |
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 $94,017 in Monroe to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Monroe, LA is about 6% cheaper overall than Jonesboro, AR, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 24% higher in Jonesboro than in Monroe. If you earn $80,000 in Jonesboro, you'd need about $75,214 in Monroe to keep the same standard of living.