City comparison
Ashburn, VA is about 200 miles (325 km) from Elizabeth, NJ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 250 miles, or about 4 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 Ashburn, VA to Elizabeth, NJ takes about 25 min, covering roughly 200 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.
Elizabeth has a population of 135,665, vs 45,479 in Ashburn — about 3.0× larger by population. By land area, Ashburn covers about 15 sq mi vs 12 sq mi for Elizabeth.
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 | Ashburn | Elizabeth | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,266/mo | $1,390/mo | 63.0% higher in Ashburn |
| Median home value | $618,000 | $358,400 | 72.4% higher in Ashburn |
| Median household income | $147,192 | $59,939 | 145.6% higher in Ashburn |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 109.4 | 4.9% higher in Elizabeth |
| Utilities index | 105.6 | 124.5 | 17.9% higher in Elizabeth |
| Transportation index | 102.2 | 105.0 | 2.7% higher in Elizabeth |
| Healthcare index | 101.6 | 105.7 | 4.0% higher in Elizabeth |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Ashburn, you'd need $99,984 in Elizabeth to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Ashburn and Elizabeth have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 6% higher in Ashburn than in Elizabeth. If you earn $80,000 in Ashburn, you'd need about $79,987 in Elizabeth to keep the same standard of living.