City comparison
Arlington, MA is about 275 miles (425 km) from Philadelphia, PA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 325 miles, or about 5 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 Arlington, MA to Philadelphia, PA takes about 32 min, covering roughly 275 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.
Philadelphia has a population of 1,593,208, vs 45,906 in Arlington — about 34.7× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 sq mi vs 5.1 sq mi for Arlington.
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 | Arlington | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,902/mo | $1,250/mo | 52.2% higher in Arlington |
| Median home value | $839,200 | $215,500 | 289.4% higher in Arlington |
| Median household income | $136,312 | $57,537 | 136.9% higher in Arlington |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 97.0 | 2.8% higher in Arlington |
| Utilities index | 144.3 | 112.3 | 28.5% higher in Arlington |
| Transportation index | 102.9 | 101.7 | 1.2% higher in Arlington |
| Healthcare index | 103.7 | 102.7 | 1.0% higher in Arlington |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Arlington, you'd need $84,669 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 15.3% cheaper overall than Arlington, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 33% higher in Arlington than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Arlington, you'd need about $67,735 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.