City comparison
Newport News, VA is about 225 miles (350 km) from Philadelphia, PA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 275 miles, or about 4 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 Newport News, VA to Philadelphia, PA takes about 26 min, covering roughly 225 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 185,118 in Newport News — about 8.6× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 sq mi vs 69 sq mi for Newport News.
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 | Newport News | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,209/mo | $1,250/mo | 3.4% higher in Philadelphia |
| Median home value | $233,400 | $215,500 | 8.3% higher in Newport News |
| Median household income | $63,355 | $57,537 | 10.1% higher in Newport News |
| Groceries index | 96.9 | 97.0 | ≈ equal (Philadelphia slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 90.0 | 112.3 | 24.7% higher in Philadelphia |
| Transportation index | 98.8 | 101.7 | 3.0% higher in Philadelphia |
| Healthcare index | 98.3 | 102.7 | 4.5% higher in Philadelphia |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Newport News, you'd need $108,539 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Newport News, VA is about 7.9% cheaper overall than Philadelphia, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 13% higher in Philadelphia than in Newport News. If you earn $80,000 in Newport News, you'd need about $86,831 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.