City comparison
McLean, VA is about 400 miles (650 km) from Newton, MA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 500 miles, or about 8 h 15 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 McLean, VA to Newton, MA takes about 47 min, covering roughly 400 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.
Newton has a population of 88,453, vs 49,587 in McLean — about 1.8× larger by population. By land area, McLean covers about 25 sq mi vs 18 sq mi for Newton.
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 | McLean | Newton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,319/mo | $2,252/mo | 47.4% higher in McLean |
| Median home value | $1,257,900 | $1,136,200 | 10.7% higher in McLean |
| Median household income | $250,001 | $176,373 | 41.7% higher in McLean |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 99.8 | 4.5% higher in McLean |
| Utilities index | 105.6 | 144.3 | 36.6% higher in Newton |
| Transportation index | 102.2 | 102.9 | 0.7% higher in Newton |
| Healthcare index | 101.6 | 103.7 | 2.0% higher in Newton |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in McLean, you'd need $99,099 in Newton to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Newton, MA is about 0.9% cheaper overall than McLean, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 7% higher in McLean than in Newton. If you earn $80,000 in McLean, you'd need about $79,280 in Newton to keep the same standard of living.