City comparison
Hackensack, NJ is about 80 miles (125 km) from Philadelphia, PA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 100 miles, or about 1 h 45 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 Hackensack, NJ to Philadelphia, PA takes about 10 min, covering roughly 80 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 45,758 in Hackensack — about 34.8× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 sq mi vs 4.2 sq mi for Hackensack.
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 | Hackensack | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,750/mo | $1,250/mo | 40.0% higher in Hackensack |
| Median home value | $353,000 | $215,500 | 63.8% higher in Hackensack |
| Median household income | $79,133 | $57,537 | 37.5% higher in Hackensack |
| Groceries index | 109.4 | 97.0 | 12.8% higher in Hackensack |
| Utilities index | 124.5 | 112.3 | 10.9% higher in Hackensack |
| Transportation index | 105.0 | 101.7 | 3.2% higher in Hackensack |
| Healthcare index | 105.7 | 102.7 | 3.0% higher in Hackensack |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Hackensack, you'd need $84,602 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 15.4% cheaper overall than Hackensack, NJ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 32% higher in Hackensack than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Hackensack, you'd need about $67,682 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.