City comparison
Glendale, AZ is about 125 miles (200 km) from Tucson, AZ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 150 miles, or about 2 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 Glendale, AZ to Tucson, AZ takes about 15 min, covering roughly 125 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.
Tucson has a population of 541,033, vs 248,083 in Glendale — about 2.2× larger by population. By land area, Tucson covers about 240 sq mi vs 67 sq mi for Glendale.
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 | Glendale | Tucson | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,268/mo | $991/mo | 28.0% higher in Glendale |
| Median home value | $310,000 | $218,200 | 42.1% higher in Glendale |
| Median household income | $66,375 | $52,049 | 27.5% higher in Glendale |
| Groceries index | 95.8 | 96.9 | 1.1% higher in Tucson |
| Utilities index | 96.2 | 92.7 | 3.7% higher in Glendale |
| Transportation index | 104.1 | 100.3 | 3.8% higher in Glendale |
| Healthcare index | 104.0 | 100.2 | 3.8% higher in Glendale |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Glendale, you'd need $87,532 in Tucson to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Tucson, AZ is about 12.5% cheaper overall than Glendale, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 32% higher in Glendale than in Tucson. If you earn $80,000 in Glendale, you'd need about $70,026 in Tucson to keep the same standard of living.