City comparison
Philadelphia, PA is about 225 miles (350 km) from Syracuse, NY 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 Philadelphia, PA to Syracuse, NY 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 146,134 in Syracuse — about 10.9× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 sq mi vs 25 sq mi for Syracuse.
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 | Philadelphia | Syracuse | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $932/mo | 34.1% higher in Philadelphia |
| Median home value | $215,500 | $117,900 | 82.8% higher in Philadelphia |
| Median household income | $57,537 | $43,584 | 32.0% higher in Philadelphia |
| Groceries index | 97.0 | 99.8 | 2.9% higher in Syracuse |
| Utilities index | 112.3 | 130.3 | 16.0% higher in Syracuse |
| Transportation index | 101.7 | 97.6 | 4.2% higher in Philadelphia |
| Healthcare index | 102.7 | 98.4 | 4.4% 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 Philadelphia, you'd need $88,029 in Syracuse to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Syracuse, NY is about 12% cheaper overall than Philadelphia, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 40% higher in Philadelphia than in Syracuse. If you earn $80,000 in Philadelphia, you'd need about $70,423 in Syracuse to keep the same standard of living.