City comparison
Joplin, MO is about 125 miles (200 km) from Lee's Summit, MO in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 150 miles, or about 2 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 Joplin, MO to Lee's Summit, MO takes about 15 min, covering roughly 125 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.
Lee's Summit has a population of 101,728, vs 51,848 in Joplin — about 2.0× larger by population. By land area, Lee's Summit covers about 64 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 | Joplin | Lee's Summit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $873/mo | $1,295/mo | 48.3% higher in Lee's Summit |
| Median home value | $147,000 | $291,400 | 98.2% higher in Lee's Summit |
| Median household income | $50,996 | $103,447 | 102.9% higher in Lee's Summit |
| Groceries index | 94.4 | 94.3 | ≈ equal (Joplin slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 86.4 | 89.3 | 3.3% higher in Lee's Summit |
| Transportation index | 93.4 | 93.7 | ≈ equal (Lee's Summit slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 93.6 | 93.9 | ≈ equal (Lee's Summit 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 Joplin, you'd need $118,452 in Lee's Summit to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Joplin, MO is about 15.6% cheaper overall than Lee's Summit, MO, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 59% higher in Lee's Summit than in Joplin. If you earn $80,000 in Joplin, you'd need about $94,761 in Lee's Summit to keep the same standard of living.