City comparison
East Orange, NJ is about 70 miles (125 km) from Philadelphia, PA 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 East Orange, NJ to Philadelphia, PA 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.
Philadelphia has a population of 1,593,208, vs 68,879 in East Orange — about 23.1× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 sq mi vs 3.9 sq mi for East Orange.
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 | East Orange | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,331/mo | $1,250/mo | 6.5% higher in East Orange |
| Median home value | $282,900 | $215,500 | 31.3% higher in East Orange |
| Median household income | $58,659 | $57,537 | 2.0% higher in East Orange |
| Groceries index | 109.4 | 97.0 | 12.8% higher in East Orange |
| Utilities index | 124.5 | 112.3 | 10.9% higher in East Orange |
| Transportation index | 105.0 | 101.7 | 3.2% higher in East Orange |
| Healthcare index | 105.7 | 102.7 | 3.0% higher in East Orange |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in East Orange, you'd need $85,452 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 14.5% cheaper overall than East Orange, NJ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 29% higher in East Orange than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in East Orange, you'd need about $68,362 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.