City comparison
Lawrence, KS is about 70 miles (125 km) from Manhattan, KS in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 90 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 Lawrence, KS to Manhattan, KS takes about 9 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.
Lawrence has a population of 95,103, vs 54,287 in Manhattan — about 1.8× larger by population. By land area, Lawrence covers about 35 sq mi vs 20 sq mi for Manhattan.
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 | Lawrence | Manhattan | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,038/mo | $977/mo | 6.2% higher in Lawrence |
| Median home value | $247,300 | $242,300 | 2.1% higher in Lawrence |
| Median household income | $59,834 | $55,316 | 8.2% higher in Lawrence |
| Groceries index | 94.2 | 94.2 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 89.5 | 88.7 | 0.9% higher in Lawrence |
| Transportation index | 94.1 | 94.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 94.3 | 94.3 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Lawrence, you'd need $99,846 in Manhattan to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lawrence and Manhattan have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Lawrence, you'd need about $79,877 in Manhattan to keep the same standard of living.