City comparison
Lawrence, MA is about 275 miles (450 km) from Philadelphia, PA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 350 miles, or about 5 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 Lawrence, MA to Philadelphia, PA takes about 33 min, covering roughly 275 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 88,067 in Lawrence — about 18.1× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 sq mi vs 6.9 sq mi for Lawrence.
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 | Lawrence | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,502/mo | $1,250/mo | 20.2% higher in Lawrence |
| Median home value | $370,600 | $215,500 | 72.0% higher in Lawrence |
| Median household income | $53,977 | $57,537 | 6.6% higher in Philadelphia |
| Groceries index | 99.4 | 97.0 | 2.4% higher in Lawrence |
| Utilities index | 141.1 | 112.3 | 25.6% higher in Lawrence |
| Transportation index | 102.9 | 101.7 | 1.2% higher in Lawrence |
| Healthcare index | 103.7 | 102.7 | 1.0% higher in Lawrence |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Lawrence, you'd need $86,609 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 13.4% cheaper overall than Lawrence, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 28% higher in Lawrence than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Lawrence, you'd need about $69,287 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.