City comparison
Joplin, MO is about 70 miles (100 km) from Springfield, MO in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 80 miles, or about 1 h 30 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 Springfield, MO takes about 8 min, covering roughly 70 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.
Springfield has a population of 168,873, vs 51,848 in Joplin — about 3.3× larger by population. By land area, Springfield covers about 83 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 | Springfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $873/mo | $878/mo | 0.6% higher in Springfield |
| Median home value | $147,000 | $146,400 | 0.4% higher in Joplin |
| Median household income | $50,996 | $43,450 | 17.4% higher in Joplin |
| Groceries index | 94.4 | 94.4 | ≈ equal (Springfield slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 86.4 | 86.4 | ≈ equal (Joplin slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 93.4 | 93.4 | ≈ equal (Joplin slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 93.6 | 93.6 | ≈ equal (Joplin 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 $105,804 in Springfield to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Joplin, MO is about 5.5% cheaper overall than Springfield, MO, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 19% higher in Springfield than in Joplin. If you earn $80,000 in Joplin, you'd need about $84,643 in Springfield to keep the same standard of living.