City comparison
Wake Forest, NC is about 40 miles (60 km) from Wilson, NC in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 50 miles, or about 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 Wake Forest, NC to Wilson, NC takes about 4 min, covering roughly 40 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.
Wake Forest has a population of 48,047, vs 47,767 in Wilson — about the same size. By land area, Wilson covers about 32 sq mi vs 20 sq mi for Wake Forest.
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 | Wake Forest | Wilson | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,354/mo | $864/mo | 56.7% higher in Wake Forest |
| Median home value | $397,300 | $167,400 | 137.3% higher in Wake Forest |
| Median household income | $115,159 | $46,891 | 145.6% higher in Wake Forest |
| Groceries index | 96.8 | 96.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 89.5 | 89.0 | 0.6% higher in Wake Forest |
| Transportation index | 98.4 | 98.4 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 97.9 | 97.9 | ≈ 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 Wake Forest, you'd need $80,161 in Wilson to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Wilson, NC is about 19.8% cheaper overall than Wake Forest, NC, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 81% higher in Wake Forest than in Wilson. If you earn $80,000 in Wake Forest, you'd need about $64,129 in Wilson to keep the same standard of living.