City comparison
Medford, MA is about 275 miles (425 km) from Philadelphia, PA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 325 miles, or about 5 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 Medford, MA to Philadelphia, PA takes about 32 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 61,748 in Medford — about 25.8× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 sq mi vs 8.1 sq mi for Medford.
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 | Medford | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,305/mo | $1,250/mo | 84.4% higher in Medford |
| Median home value | $669,600 | $215,500 | 210.7% higher in Medford |
| Median household income | $114,863 | $57,537 | 99.6% higher in Medford |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 97.0 | 2.8% higher in Medford |
| Utilities index | 144.3 | 112.3 | 28.5% higher in Medford |
| Transportation index | 102.9 | 101.7 | 1.2% higher in Medford |
| Healthcare index | 103.7 | 102.7 | 1.0% higher in Medford |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Medford, you'd need $83,861 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 16.1% cheaper overall than Medford, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 35% higher in Medford than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Medford, you'd need about $67,089 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.