City comparison
Joplin, MO is about 350 miles (550 km) from Monroe, LA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 425 miles, or about 7 h 15 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 Monroe, LA takes about 41 min, covering roughly 350 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.
Joplin has a population of 51,848, vs 47,631 in Monroe — about the same size. By land area, Joplin covers about 38 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 | Joplin | Monroe | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $873/mo | $790/mo | 10.5% higher in Joplin |
| Median home value | $147,000 | $158,200 | 7.6% higher in Monroe |
| Median household income | $50,996 | $36,550 | 39.5% higher in Joplin |
| Groceries index | 94.4 | 94.1 | ≈ equal (Joplin slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 86.4 | 74.3 | 16.4% higher in Joplin |
| Transportation index | 93.4 | 96.1 | 2.9% higher in Monroe |
| Healthcare index | 93.6 | 95.6 | 2.1% higher in Monroe |
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 $93,650 in Monroe to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Monroe, LA is about 6.4% cheaper overall than Joplin, MO, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 24% higher in Joplin than in Monroe. If you earn $80,000 in Joplin, you'd need about $74,920 in Monroe to keep the same standard of living.