City comparison
Knoxville, TN is about 350 miles (550 km) from Memphis, TN 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 Knoxville, TN to Memphis, TN 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.
Memphis has a population of 630,027, vs 191,857 in Knoxville — about 3.3× larger by population. By land area, Memphis covers about 290 sq mi vs 99 sq mi for Knoxville.
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 | Knoxville | Memphis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,043/mo | $1,050/mo | 0.7% higher in Memphis |
| Median home value | $184,200 | $139,600 | 31.9% higher in Knoxville |
| Median household income | $48,309 | $48,090 | 0.5% higher in Knoxville |
| Groceries index | 96.5 | 96.4 | ≈ equal (Knoxville slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 73.9 | 76.0 | 2.7% higher in Memphis |
| Transportation index | 95.6 | 95.8 | ≈ equal (Memphis slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 95.1 | 95.3 | ≈ equal (Memphis 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 Knoxville, you'd need $99,004 in Memphis to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Memphis, TN is about 1% cheaper overall than Knoxville, TN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 3% higher in Knoxville than in Memphis. If you earn $80,000 in Knoxville, you'd need about $79,203 in Memphis to keep the same standard of living.