City comparison
Kingsport, TN is about 425 miles (700 km) from Memphis, TN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 550 miles, or about 9 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 Kingsport, TN to Memphis, TN takes about 51 min, covering roughly 425 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.
Memphis has a population of 630,027, vs 55,415 in Kingsport — about 11.4× larger by population. By land area, Memphis covers about 290 sq mi vs 53 sq mi for Kingsport.
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 | Kingsport | Memphis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $772/mo | $1,050/mo | 36.0% higher in Memphis |
| Median home value | $181,600 | $139,600 | 30.1% higher in Kingsport |
| Median household income | $48,228 | $48,090 | 0.3% higher in Kingsport |
| Groceries index | 96.5 | 96.4 | ≈ equal (Kingsport slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 77.6 | 76.0 | 2.2% higher in Kingsport |
| Transportation index | 96.2 | 95.8 | ≈ equal (Kingsport slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 95.7 | 95.3 | ≈ equal (Kingsport 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 Kingsport, you'd need $112,234 in Memphis to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Kingsport, TN is about 10.9% cheaper overall than Memphis, TN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 41% higher in Memphis than in Kingsport. If you earn $80,000 in Kingsport, you'd need about $89,787 in Memphis to keep the same standard of living.