City comparison
Joplin, MO is about 325 miles (500 km) from Shreveport, LA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 400 miles, or about 6 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 Shreveport, LA takes about 39 min, covering roughly 325 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.
Shreveport has a population of 186,183, vs 51,848 in Joplin — about 3.6× larger by population. By land area, Shreveport covers about 110 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 | Shreveport | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $873/mo | $945/mo | 8.2% higher in Shreveport |
| Median home value | $147,000 | $168,900 | 14.9% higher in Shreveport |
| Median household income | $50,996 | $45,967 | 10.9% higher in Joplin |
| Groceries index | 94.4 | 94.1 | ≈ equal (Joplin slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 86.4 | 74.6 | 15.9% higher in Joplin |
| Transportation index | 93.4 | 96.1 | 2.9% higher in Shreveport |
| Healthcare index | 93.6 | 95.6 | 2.1% higher in Shreveport |
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 $99,037 in Shreveport to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Shreveport, LA is about 1% cheaper overall than Joplin, MO, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Joplin, you'd need about $79,230 in Shreveport to keep the same standard of living.