City comparison
Ashburn, VA is about 150 miles (225 km) from Philadelphia, PA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 175 miles, or about 3 h 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 Philadelphia, PA takes about 17 min, covering roughly 150 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 45,479 in Ashburn — about 35.0× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 sq mi vs 15 sq mi for Ashburn.
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 | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,266/mo | $1,250/mo | 81.3% higher in Ashburn |
| Median home value | $618,000 | $215,500 | 186.8% higher in Ashburn |
| Median household income | $147,192 | $57,537 | 155.8% higher in Ashburn |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 97.0 | 7.5% higher in Ashburn |
| Utilities index | 105.6 | 112.3 | 6.3% higher in Philadelphia |
| Transportation index | 102.2 | 101.7 | ≈ equal (Ashburn slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 101.6 | 102.7 | 1.0% higher in Philadelphia |
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 $85,322 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 14.7% cheaper overall than Ashburn, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 37% higher in Ashburn than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Ashburn, you'd need about $68,258 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.